Former hostage Gerco van Deventer: ‘My faith was my anchor’
He was detained for six years, one month and 12 days – the longest period any South African has ever been held as a hostage – but Gerco van Deventer knew he would be released. That’s what he told Rian van Heerden in this week’s episode of Laataand by Rian.
Gerco’s father was in the army, and from an early age, he wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps. He joined a specialist medical unit, and after leaving the army, he continued working as a paramedic. His work took him to Libya, where he was kidnapped on a construction site in 2017. He was later sold by his captors to Al-Qaeda in Mali, and he was held there until his release in December 2023.
Today, Gerco and his family live in Swellendam, and he regularly gives testimonies at churches. He also plans to train people on how to respond if they ever find themselves in a similar hostage situation.
Gerco wasn’t the only one detained. “My wife, child and family were also prisoners,” he says, adding that they were what kept him positive and motivated. “My faith was my anchor, and my family drives me.”
He believes one reason he was treated well by his captors was that he treated them with respect. Upon his release, they told him they didn’t know why he was being freed but assured him no money had changed hands. To this day, Gerco doesn’t know the exact reason for his release.
The second guest in the studio was Monique Strydom, who was held hostage for 127 days in 2000 with her ex-husband, Callie, on the island of Sipadan in Malaysia. In her interview with Rian, Monique explained that the nightmarish experience of being a hostage becomes part of your DNA. She and Gerco shared how they’ve learned to recognise “triggers” – those things that can reawaken trauma – and how to handle and address it. They have also both come to realise what is truly important in life, such as good relationships.
Rian’s guest next week is comedian Alfred Adriaan, who quickly made a name for himself in the South African comedy scene with two consecutive South African Comics’ Choice nominations in the categories for Best New Comedian and Best Intermediate Comedian.
Laataand by Rian is on kykNET (DStv channel 144), Tuesday nights at 21:00. The episodes are also available on DStv Stream and Catch Up.
