A woman claims police dismissed her concerns after men allegedly photographed and followed her amid fears over Kempton Park women's safety.
Communities and NGOs picket in Kempton Park after a fifth body of a woman was discovered. Picture: Hein Kaiser
A woman who feared she was about to be kidnapped after men allegedly photographed and followed her in Olievenhoutbosch claims police told her there was no case because nobody had harmed her.
Gender-based violence has come under the spotlight again after the gruesome discovery of several women’s bodies in Ekurhuleni in recent months.
The woman said that the incident happened on Saturday, about a 30-minute drive from Olifantsfontein, where another woman’s body was discovered earlier this week.
While there is no evidence linking the alleged attempted abduction to any of the deaths, the timing and circumstances have raised alarm on social media as police continue trying to establish whether any of the cases are connected.
On Tuesday, Kempton Park SAPS also released details of another woman who was kidnapped by a man she believed was her Uber driver, allegedly sexually assaulted and released near Rhodesfield Gautrain station the following morning.
‘The men started taking pictures of us’
Monica, from Olievenhoutbosch, said she and another woman had set out to buy vegetables for dinner when she noticed men nearby behaving suspiciously. Her unease grew when the men allegedly began taking photographs of them.
One of the men then appeared to make a call, and another vehicle subsequently arrived at high speed.
“They got out of the car, and it seemed as if they were about to head towards us,” she said.
While the men’s intentions were unclear, Monica said she and her friend felt threatened.
“I said to this lady friend of mine, ‘You know what? I’m not gonna go down without a fight. If these people want a fight, I’m here.'”
Her only potential weapon was the plastic bag of vegetables she was carrying.
The pair fled, trying unsuccessfully to flag down a police van a short distance away. They then sought refuge before becoming concerned that the men had followed them.
Several women shared their accounts of abuse
Monica eventually escaped, but her fear continued afterwards. She said her friend later contacted her to say the suspicious vehicle had driven past her home.
Real Tok News TikTok creator Lalos Rikhotso first heard Monica’s story after she joined a live discussion he was hosting about the deaths of women in Kempton Park.
Her account was not the only one to surface from the TikTok discussion. Rikhotso said more than 15 women joined his live broadcast and shared experiences ranging from rape to suspected attempted abductions. Some incidents dated back several years, but Monica’s immediately caught his attention because it had allegedly happened days earlier.
The creator has questioned whether organised perpetrators could be operating in the broader area and whether Monica’s experience warrants examination alongside the deaths being investigated around Kempton Park, particularly because of its proximity to Olifantsfontein.
There is presently no evidence supporting such a connection.
Monica said she subsequently called the local station commander because she was shaken and wanted police to investigate.
“There’s no case because they didn’t harm you. We can’t go and arrest people without any proof,” she claims she was told. But another SAPS officer told The Citizen that, given the circumstances surrounding the deaths being investigated, no potentially relevant clue or incident should simply be left unattended.
The officer said the occurrence also reflected the threats many South African women face daily and that reports of this nature should be taken seriously regardless of whether a crime was ultimately established.
