Five accused men appeared on 30 March 2026 in the Johannesburg Magistrates’ Court on charges of aggravated robbery and murder in connection with the kidnapping and death of SAIIA senior researcher Steven Gruzd. (Photo: Naledi Mashishi) Five suspects in the kidnapping and murder of senior researcher Steven Gruzd appeared in the Johannesburg Magistrates’ Court on charges of robbery with aggravating circumstances and murder on Monday, 30 March.
Gruzd was the head of the African Governance and Diplomacy Programme at the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA). His body was found at the George Goch Hostel in Benrose after he had disappeared on Friday, 27 March. He is expected to be buried at Westpark Cemetery on Tuesday.
The suspects appeared in court with visible facial injuries, including black eyes and bruises. Their identities cannot be published due to a court order. Defence advocate Phumudzo Sadike pointed out the suspects’ injuries, saying that they had not yet received medical care. It is unclear at this stage how they sustained their injuries.
The state opposed bail for the suspects on the grounds that they were being charged with a Schedule 6 offence, which covered the most serious offences and required the accused to prove “exceptional circumstances” to obtain bail.
The suspects were arrested in a joint operation between the South African Police Service (SAPS) and security companies Community Security Organisation (CSO) and Community Active Protection (CAP) on Saturday, 28 March.
Gruzd was reported missing after attending a meeting in Corlett Gardens. His body was later recovered 20km away at George Goch Hostel in the early hours of the morning. News24 reported that the suspects were allegedly caught kidnapping Gruzd on CCTV footage, and their vehicle was tracked on various cameras.
/file/attachments/orphans/GNxYj04XMAALsSe_275381.jpg "Steven Gruzd at the APRM (African Peer Review Mechanism) (Photo: X / @APRMorg)")
“We believe the victim was kidnapped for ransom and theft – what is commonly referred to as an ‘express kidnapping’,” said a statement released by CSO.
“At this point, all indications lead us to believe this is a criminal incident, and we do not currently believe there are any other motives behind this crime.”
‘Express kidnapping’
Gauteng – Johannesburg in particular – remains South Africa’s kidnapping hotspot, with the 2025/2026 third quarter crime statistics showing a 2.1% increase in reported incidents, accounting for more than half of all kidnappings reported in the country.
Kidnapping cases have surged across South Africa over the past decade, largely driven by so-called express kidnapping.
In June 2025, Lizette Lancaster from the Institute of Security Studies (ISS) told Daily Maverick that kidnappings in Gauteng had increased by 264% in the previous decade.
“Gauteng records 52.8% of all reported kidnappings in the country,” said Lancaster at the time.
“ISS analysis of the Gauteng kidnapping statistics shows that about 80% are driven by so-called express kidnappings perpetrated during robberies such as carjackings, truckjackings and business or residential robberies.
“This involves holding the victim captive until funds can be extracted from bank cards or via mobile apps and even demanding ransoms from relatives. Some are also linked to extortion attempts against business owners.”
‘Sophisticated syndicates’ operating in hostels
The suspects’ links to the George Goch hostel are unclear, but kidnapping incidents have previously been linked to hostels. In 2023, at the height of the kidnappings of members of the LGBTQ community, an 18-year-old Wits student who was kidnapped was rescued by police teams at the Denver Men’s hostel.
Some residents in George Goch told Daily Maverick on Monday morning that while they were not familiar with Gruzd, his story was all too familiar. Residents have been pleading with the police to conduct random raids at the hostel as they were living in constant fear.
/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/George-Goch-Hostel-surveillance-1.jpeg "The George Goch Hostel. (Photo: Twitter / @Lesufi)")
Sanele Mbanjwa told Daily Maverick that the large number of residents and lack of police presence in the hostel had created a haven for criminal syndicates to operate undetected.
“There are many of these criminal groups in here, but they are untouchable,” he said. “In an age where police officers often work with criminals, residents would rather trust one another than the police.”
Nqo Ngubane said that this was not the first kidnapping incident to be linked to George Goch hostel.
“It’s not a secret that these things are happening here and the criminals are emboldened because of the absence of strong law enforcement,” said Ngubane.
“A lot more is happening, but people will not speak because they are scared. People are minding their own business while clinging to false hope that things will get better.”
Another resident, Sbu Madlala, told Daily Maverick that crime had escalated and had become more organised recently.
“We now live with sophisticated syndicates, and they thrive because of the culture of secrecy and intimidation, which is why formidable police teams are needed to clean the hostel,” Madlala said.
At this stage, it is not clear whether the suspects are residents of George Goch hostel, since their addresses still need to be verified. Their next court appearance is scheduled for 8 April. DM