Woman says police dismissed her fears after alleged following and photographs in Olievenhoutbosch

According to The Citizen, a woman from Olievenhoutbosch says she feared she was about to be kidnapped after men allegedly photographed and followed her and a friend, and that when she reported the incident police told her there was no case because nobody had been harmed.

What the woman says happened

The Citizen reports the woman, identified as Monica, told how she and a friend went out to buy vegetables when she noticed men behaving suspiciously and then allegedly taking photographs of them. One of the men reportedly made a call and another vehicle arrived at speed. “They got out of the car, and it seemed as if they were about to head towards us,” Monica said.

She said the two women fled and tried to flag down a police van nearby but were unsuccessful. Monica later learned the suspicious vehicle had driven past her friend’s home. She described feeling threatened and said she was prepared to fight to avoid being taken.

Police response as reported to The Citizen

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, according to The Citizen.

The Citizen also quoted another SAPS officer who said that, given the circumstances surrounding the deaths being investigated in the area, no potentially relevant clue or incident should simply be left unattended and that reports of this nature should be taken seriously regardless of whether a crime was ultimately established.

Wider reaction on social media

The Citizen says Monica first spoke publicly after joining a live discussion hosted by Real Tok News TikTok creator Lalos Rikhotso. Rikhotso told The Citizen he first heard Monica’s account during that live session and that more than 15 women joined the broadcast and shared experiences ranging from rape to suspected attempted abductions.

The Citizen notes that 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.”

What remains unclear

The Citizen makes no claim of a direct link between Monica’s account and the recent discovery of women’s bodies in Ekurhuleni, and it reports there is presently no evidence supporting such a connection.