Cape Town - It’s the story that has captured the imagination of Cape Town and now you can read all about it in a new book by Heindrich Wyngaard.
In A Home for Zephany, written six months after the teen was reunited with her family, the journalist and academic tells the tragic story of a girl who was snatched from her mother’s arms when she was just three days old.
Zephany was kidnapped from the Groote Schuur Hospital in 1997, and was only found 17 years later, ironically, by her very own sister, who attended the same high school as her in Retreat.
Wyngaard, who did not interview Zephany or her parents, reveals shocking details about the family, who have refused to do any interviews with local media.
One of these is the fact that Zephany’s biological mom, Celeste Nurse, was being treated for cancer when her daughter was found.
In the book, which goes on sale on Friday, Wyngaard writes: “Celeste and Morne separated in June 2014 and she was diagnosed with cancer in October 2014, but the disease is now in remission. Her mom helped her raise her children as she had then moved in with them in Delft.”
And during an interesting conversation with a social worker, Wyngaard learnt that Zephany’s unusual name means “the Lord has hidden”.
Another interesting revelation is that the woman who allegedly snatched Zephany has an identical twin sister.
Referred to by Wyngaard as Mrs S, the 50-year-old was arrested on charges of kidnapping and is currently out on bail.
Not having access to the Nurse family has not stopped Wyngaard from telling the compelling story of Zephany, who he believes has suffered the most in this tragic ordeal.
Drawing information from various news sources as well as his personal observations of the sensational case, Wyngaard says he almost had no other choice but to write it.
He says it was another high-profile court case that inspired him to write the story – that of Shrien Dewani, the rich British businessman accused of masterminding the murder of his bride Anni in Cape Town in 2010.
“It was Mike Nicol who gave me the idea for this book through his book Monkey Business on the Dewani case,” Wyngaard says.
“I was fascinated by the story and felt driven to write it. Most of the time our stories are told by people who don’t know or understand who we are. If we tell our own stories, we take ownership and that in itself is a responsibility.
As per a court finding, 18-year old Zephany’s true identity cannot not revealed.
Wyngaard says he approached Zephany’s legal guardian, Ann Skelton, the director of the Centre for Child Law in Pretoria, to find out if he could use her picture on his book cover.
The reply was short and terse: “My instructions directly from Zephany are that she does not want to consent to her identity being revealed. She is absolutely clear about this.”
But Wyngaard feels it would be in the teen’s best interest if people knew who she was.
Zephany, who may not be named by court order, is currently finishing her matric.
“She is being hounded and it won’t stop until she reveals herself,” he says.
Wyngaard gives some insight into the Nurse family’s anguish and pain from the moment she disappeared, to her snatcher’s last court appearance last month.
These are based on newspaper articles and interviews with psychology experts, and his own observations in court.
Wyngaard said: “I hope people will see that my intention is always to bring something positive and this family needs something good.
“I wanted to bring the entire story together and deliver it simply so that people know that these things also happen to our people.”
However, the Nurse family say they are not happy about any book being written about Zephany without their permission.
Asked for comment on Thursday, dad Morne Nurse at first denied knowledge of Wyngaard’s book, but he then admitted he knew of it and did not like it.
Morne tells the Daily Voice: “Who gave them the right to publish anything about her?
“I don’t have anything to say about it.”
Morne says he has left Cape Town because he was tired of being chased around by the media.
It’s believed the Nurse family has sold the rights to their story to an overseas media company, which prevents them from doing any interviews with local media.
Wyngaard says he approached both families, requesting interviews but they refused.
The author says he wanted to focus on the human interest aspect of Zephany’s story and not the pending court case against her alleged kidnapper.
Wyngaard says: “It’s not illegal to write people’s stories, I am not writing about the court matter.”
He says he sought legal advice before writing the book to make sure everything was above board.
Daily Voice