BOITEKONG – Residents in Boitekong and surrounding areas of the North West province are living in fear of a serial killer after six bodies were discovered dumped in a local river over a three-week period. The grim discoveries have sparked community outrage over policing efforts and prompted urgent demands for 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 in the long, perennial river 10 to 14 days later.
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 disappeared the following Thursday and was retrieved on May 26. The third identified victim, a 34-year-old, went missing on May 28. A memorial service was held for him 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. Additionally, the bodies of two other unidentified individuals were recovered earlier that same morning, bringing the total to six.
A local activist serving as a community spokesperson highlighted the recurring physical patterns observed at the river crime scenes. “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. According to fourth-quarter crime statistics, Rustenburg leads the North West province in murder cases, 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.
Despite the high crime rates, 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.
