The abduction of Nkosi Mandla Mandela, grandson of Nelson Mandela, along with several international activists aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla, has ignited worldwide condemnation and intensified calls for urgent action to end Israel’s blockade on Gaza.

Mandela, who was sailing on the Alma to deliver humanitarian aid to Palestinians, confirmed in a distress video released on Thursday that he and his fellow activists had been captured by Israeli forces.

“My name is Nkosi Mandla Mandela. I’m a citizen of the Republic of South Africa. If you are receiving this video, it means that we have been intercepted and have been abducted by the apartheid state of Israel. I call on you to request our government to exact pressure for my immediate release,” Mandela said, visibly shaken but resolute.

This comes just weeks after a deadly explosion in September targeted the Flotilla in international waters, wounding activists and raising concerns about the extent to which humanitarian efforts are being criminalised. Despite the risks, the Flotilla pressed on in what it described as a “mission of conscience” to break Israel’s siege on Gaza and deliver desperately needed food and medicine.

The African Transformation Movement (ATM) was among the first to respond, issuing a strongly worded statement demanding Mandela’s immediate release along with the seven other activists detained.

“Nkosi Mandla Mandela and his colleagues undertook a humanitarian mission to Gaza, motivated by a profound commitment to assist those suffering from the devastating impacts of war and hunger. Their intentions were rooted in compassion and solidarity with the people of Gaza,” said ATM spokesperson Zama Ntshona.

The ATM went further, calling on South Africans to boycott Israeli goods and urging the government to temporarily close the Israeli Embassy in Pretoria.

“The ongoing conflict has resulted in staggering casualties, with over 68,300 individuals reported killed as of September 24, 2025, including approximately 66,414 Palestinians. Alarmingly, 80% of those killed are civilians, the majority being women and children. This level of violence against innocent civilians reflects a genocidal programme that cannot be overlooked,” Ntshona warned.

Echoing this call, the GOOD Party’s Secretary-General Brett Herron reminded the world that Mandela and his fellow activists were not combatants but humanitarian workers.“These Flotillas do not carry arms or threats, they carry food, medicine, and the message that the world has not forgotten Gaza. The Israeli government’s aggressive posture toward humanitarian missions must be condemned in the strongest terms,” Herron said.

Herron also linked Mandela’s abduction to a broader pattern of targeting international activists, recalling that climate activist Greta Thunberg and others were detained aboard the Madleen in June under similar circumstances. “The use of starvation as a weapon, the destruction of civilian infrastructure, and the targeting of aid convoys are violations of international law and an affront to our shared humanity,” Herron declared.

Across the globe, leaders, civil society groups, and human rights organisations have denounced the interception.

In Dublin, Irish Foreign Minister Micheál Ó hÉigeartaigh said, “The targeting of peaceful activists, including South Africa’s Mandla Mandela, is an assault not only on the humanitarian cause but on international law itself. Ireland joins the call for their immediate release.”

From Turkey, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan reiterated Ankara’s long-standing opposition to the blockade on Gaza. “The abduction of Mandela, the grandson of the great anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela, is a symbolic reminder that the same structures of oppression his grandfather fought against are alive in Israel’s apartheid regime today. Turkey stands firmly with the people of Palestine.”

Meanwhile, Norway’s Nobel Peace laureate and humanitarian, Jan Egeland, condemned the attack as “a chilling escalation against international solidarity.” He added, “If the world allows aid ships to be bombed, boarded, and seized, it sends a devastating signal that humanitarian law is irrelevant when it comes to Gaza.”

South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) has confirmed it is engaging with Israeli authorities and international partners to secure Mandela’s release. “South Africa condemns in the strongest possible terms the abduction of our citizens engaged in a peaceful humanitarian mission. We are consulting with the African Union and United Nations to pursue all diplomatic channels,” said DIRCO.

The abduction has sparked street protests in Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban, with demonstrators carrying Palestinian flags and chanting “Free Gaza, Free Mandela.” Several South African unions have also vowed to intensify calls for divestment from companies linked to Israel.

The abduction highlights the severe humanitarian situation in Gaza, where UN reports indicate that more than 80% of the population relies on international aid. Gaza’s hospitals are on the brink of collapse, with medical supplies running out due to the blockade.

The September explosion that targeted the Flotilla only added to fears that humanitarian aid itself has become a battlefield. Activists insist they will not be deterred. “Our mission is grounded in the principle that no child should die of hunger while food sits a few kilometres away. Israel may abduct us, but it cannot abduct the truth,” Mandela said in his final recorded message before being taken.

For many, Mandela’s detention carries symbolic weight. As the grandson of Nelson Mandela, his participation in the Flotilla is a living echo of South Africa’s own history of resistance against apartheid. Leaders across the Global South, including Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro and Bolivia’s Evo Morales, have drawn direct comparisons between the anti-apartheid struggle and the Palestinian cause.

“The imprisonment of Mandla Mandela reminds us of the imprisonment of his grandfather. Just as Nelson Mandela’s freedom became a rallying cry for the world, so too must the freedom of Palestine,” Morales said.

The abduction of Nkosi Mandla Mandela and his fellow activists is more than a diplomatic incident—it is a flashpoint in a global struggle for justice, dignity, and humanitarian relief in Palestine. From Pretoria to Dublin, Ankara to Caracas, the world is uniting in outrage.

Whether this pressure will be enough to secure their release, and ultimately end the blockade on Gaza, remains to be seen.
For now, one message resonates above all: aid is not a crime, and solidarity cannot be silenced.