Young woman on route to spa retreat taken by kidnappers shortly after notifying her parents of her whereabouts.

On a peaceful Friday afternoon, Alize van der Merwe, a 39-year-old woman, was on her way to a much-needed getaway at a luxurious four-star spa resort in South Africa. Little did she know that her journey would take a terrifying turn.

As she was driving towards the Umngazi Hotel in Port St Johns, Alize was suddenly accosted and abducted. It has now been over 96 hours since she flew from Cape Town to East London that morning. Her rental car, a white Toyota Fortuner, was later found abandoned not too far from the hotel in the evening. Antoinette Coetser, a specialist investigator, shared with The Citizen that all of Alize's personal belongings and cellphone were still in the car.

According to Coetser, it is believed that Alize made a stop at a popular rest stop for motorists, the Shell Ultra City on the N2 in Mthatha, before her disappearance. The last contact she had with her parents was at 11:30 am, when she told them she was heading towards the rest stop. It was later that day that she was taken by her abductors.

Police spokesperson Ndiphiwe Mhlakuvana confirmed that Alize's family has been contacted by the abductors, demanding a ransom for her release. He also stated that the authorities are working tirelessly to find and rescue Alize unharmed, and the investigation is still ongoing.

Andre Snyman, the founder of Eblockwatch, a network of over 86,000 South Africans who "look out for each other," provided an update on Facebook about the case. He shared that Alize's parents have confirmed that her rental car was found abandoned in the Transkei area, and a search is currently underway. Snyman also mentioned that they are mobilizing their network to assist in the search, particularly in the Transkei region, and gathering more information to coordinate their efforts.

The entire community is shaken by this shocking and disturbing news. We can only hope and pray for Alize's safe return to her loved ones. Let us all stand together and do our part in spreading the word and helping in any way we can. Together, we can make a difference and bring Alize back home.

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