Not Child's Play
Held Hostage. A True Story of Survival, Faith, and Family.
In 1990, South African architect Dave Muller, his wife Sandy, and their two young children were taken captive by child soldiers in Mozambique. Their 49-day ordeal became the foundation for this powerful memoir: Not Child’s Play.
Buy your copy of Not Child's Play
The proceeds go to the charity Hostage International
About the Book ‘Not Child’s Play’
Discover the story behind Not Child’s Play — a raw, honest memoir blending danger, doubt, and hope.
“We laughed when we could. We prayed when we couldn’t. We wrote when we were scared.”
Hours before their release, the Muller’s enjoying their final meal with their captors.
Dave Muller is a retired architect whose work includes designing President Nelson Mandela’s Qunu residence. He and his wife Sandy now live in a fully off-grid home he built himself, overlooking the Gqunube River. Dave’s passion for sustainable living and global travel have shaped a life full of adventure—and deep reflection. Since retiring, he has volunteered his services on three projects with the Christian NGO, Engineering Ministries International. The first in Burundi, second in Uganda and the latest in Goma in the DRC. Not Child’s Play is his first book.
Some Ready Reviews
Redemption of hostages in the Mozambique civil war
Paul Wickens - Amazon
How does one deal with a mixture of evil and good?
Pete - Amazon
“Beautifully written and unforgettable”
J. Barnard
The Hostage Experience
Dive deeper into the events leading up to the kidnapping, life during captivity, and the long road after release.
Frequently asked questions
Who captured you?
A group of child soldiers from the terrorist group called Renamo captured us.
At the time the socialist aligned Frelimo were fighting a civil war with the western supported Renamo. In effect, this was a proxy war between the east and the west. The war endured from 1977 till 1992. Our rescue required a cease-fire to come into effect. This was the first between the warring parties and provided sufficient trust between the parties to allow peace talks to commence two weeks after our release.
Where were you captured?
We were captured in central Mozambique, about 30km south of a group of islands called the Bazaruto Archipelago. We were then forced to walk south with our captors for about 70km to an area near Pomene.
Why were you there?
Other than, to gain sailing experience in preparation for a longer voyage, we were sailing to the Bazaruto Islands so that Sandy, my wife and a marine biologist, could investigate the possibility of undertaking future research work on molluscs near the islands. We ran aground in the middle of the night on a sand bar south of the islands and were waiting to refloat our yacht when we were captured by a group of boy soldiers from the Renamo terrorist group.