Mitchells Plain residents have trickled into the Lentegeur Civic Centre on the Cape Flats, where the Department of Correctional Services, is explaining the possible release on parole of Norman Afzal Simons, known as the “Station Strangler”.
The former Grade 5 teacher has spent 28 years in prison.
He was charged with 22 counts of murder, but was only convicted of the murder of one boy.
Elroy Bond, who was fifteen at the time of the murders, says he’s had flashbacks.
“So, when I heard he was coming out, stuff started to pop up in my mind, you know, like some trauma. That time trauma just popped up that we were as children scared to hear about a black car or a description of a guy that’s around here, and a lot of that just came back as an adult.”
The Mitchells Plain Community Police Forum on the Cape Flats says there are more questions than answers relating to the case.
CPF Chairperson Norman Jantjies says the community is anxious to hear what the department’s plans are.
“The community is now kind of reliving the trauma that they experienced many years ago. At the same time, there are also a lot of unanswered questions in terms of how many victims have no closure. There’s a bit of apprehension. The community will hear this afternoon about parole conditions and where he is going to be residing. So, I hope the community is going to come forward so that they can hear for themselves what the plans are with regards to his release.”
