BOITEKONG – Residents of Boitekong in the North West province are living in fear of a potential serial killer after six bodies were discovered in a local river within a span of three weeks. The grim discoveries in the Rustenburg area have sparked outrage over policing and demands for immediate intervention.
According to community reports, the victims, many in their 30s, share a chilling pattern: they all vanished on a Thursday and their bodies were recovered 10 to 14 days later in the long, perennial Ramuchana river.
The identified victims include a 36-year-old who went missing on May 7 and was found 13 days later; a second 36-year-old, who disappeared the following Thursday and was retrieved on May 26; and a 34-year-old, who went missing on May 28. A memorial service was held for the 34-year-old on a Thursday, and his body was discovered in the river on the morning of June 11, 13 days after his disappearance, reportedly bearing stab wounds.
A family spokesperson expressed deep anguish over the loss, noting the severe distress of the victim going without his epilepsy medication, food, and water during the days he was missing. “We are still hurt by the loss of our son. Worse, not knowing what happened and who took his life. All those days without his epilepsy medication, water and food, we will never heal,” the family spokesperson said. Additionally, the bodies of two other unidentified individuals were recovered earlier that same morning, bringing the total to six.
A local activist acting as a spokesperson for the community highlighted the recurring crime scene patterns at the river. “Normally when I get to the scene, these bodies are always facing downwards, floating, and none of them were naked,” the activist spokesperson stated. “When they are being turned, we can never say it’s a gun. Normally, it’s like a very huge, wide-open wound.”
These consistent injuries and dumping methods have led residents to suspect a serial killer is targeting the community. “There’s a serial killer who is busy trying to make sure that our community doesn’t enjoy the freedom that we are supposed to enjoy,” a resident spokesperson said. The spokesperson noted that the kidnappings initially started small but are now occurring frequently. “We are no longer safe.”
Crime statistics contextualize the crisis, with Rustenburg leading the North West province in murder cases during the fourth quarter, though it ranks 15th nationwide. The Boitekong Police Station, where the river discoveries were reported, ranks in the top four for murders in the province.
However, community members are decrying what they describe as a slow police response. A resident spokesperson highlighted that police often cite a lack of personnel at stations, prompting urgent calls for the government to deploy soldiers to assist local law enforcement.
“We believe our law is failing us,” the resident spokesperson stated, recounting a painful incident where a man killed at a site was found in a dam, but forensic teams failed to arrive that day, only showing up the following morning.
A detailed inquiry was submitted to the provincial police spokesperson regarding the river bodies and the possibility of a serial killer. Despite several undertakings to assist, no official comment was provided. In response to the crisis and the perceived lack of visible policing, Rustenburg residents are organizing a march to the local police station on Friday to demand justice and safer neighborhoods.