Fear and Frustration in Silverton as Police Silence Fuels Serial Killer Fears

Four women are dead. No answers. And in Silverton, that silence is becoming as frightening as the crimes themselves.

A chilling pattern emerges

It started with whispers in early August, then spread like wildfire across Pretoria’s WhatsApp groups and Facebook pages: a “serial killer” could be stalking the streets of Silverton. The rumours weren’t born from nowhere. Between June and July, four women were murdered, their bodies burned and dumped in the same general area between Watloo and Denneboom train stations.

The first victim was found buried in a shallow grave, a chilling note left behind. Within days, police arrested a man in Limpopo who had allegedly fled to his grandmother’s house. But while his arrest made headlines, it didn’t explain the other bodies.

Who killed the rest? And if that suspect was behind only one murder, does that mean someone else is still out there?

A wall of silence

Attempts to get clarity from the police have gone nowhere. Official responses are vague, evasive, and sometimes contradictory. An anonymous tip to local media claimed the killer is a foreign national who fled the country. Police won’t confirm it.

The lack of information leaves residents, especially women anxious and angry. As one Silverton resident told us, “How can we protect ourselves if we don’t even know what’s going on?”

A Women’s Day reminder

The unease in Silverton hit harder when Women’s Day rolled around, and advocacy group Action Society dropped a fresh batch of disturbing statistics. Every single month in South Africa, on average:

• 320 women are murdered

• 3 934 women are raped

• 5 341 women suffer grievous bodily harm

From October to December 2024 alone, police recorded 961 women murdered and more than 11 800 rapes.

Action Society’s Juanita du Preez summed it up with a gut-punch of a line: “Many women don’t celebrate Women’s Day; they survive it.”

Bigger than one case

Whether or not a “serial killer” is officially confirmed, the Silverton murders have exposed painful cracks in the system. From border control to police investigations to the glacial pace of court cases, South Africa’s safety net for women is riddled with holes.

For now, the questions keep piling up in Silverton, unanswered. Is the killer still here? Was he ever caught? Or has he simply slipped away into the night, leaving a fearful community behind?

Until someone talks, the silence may be the loudest warning of all.

{Source: The Citizen}

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