Anyone who lived on the Cape Flats from the mid-1980s to mid-1990s lived in mortal fear of the Station Strangler, a heinous murderer who is believed to have raped and strangled 21 little boys before burying them in shallow graves.
Mitchells Plain teacher Norman Simons was finally arrested but was only convicted of one of the murders, that of 10-year-old Elroy van Rooyen, for which he received a life sentence.
When Simons was released on parole in 2023, having served 28 years behind bars, there was a public outcry since many believe he is the serial killer responsible for all the boys’ deaths.
These events, which shook the entire country, are captured in IdeaCandy’s chilling new true-crime documentary The Station Strangler.
The film features interviews with family members of the victims, lead investigator JD Kotze, serial killer profiler Micki Pistorius, and Dr Allan Boesak.
IdeaCandy, which is also behind Tracking Thabo Bester and Devilsdorp, brought award-winning director Nadine Cloete on board to direct the film.
Cloete won the Audience Award at Encounters for Action Kommandant, while Address Unknown won the SA Film and Television Award for Best Short Film.
She is also the production and development manager for non-fiction at the National Film and Video Foundation.
The Weekender asker her:
Q: How did you become involved in this production and why is it a story that had to be told?
A: The production company, IdeaCandy, approached me to come on board as director for this project. I felt I had to get on board to tell the story because it haunted an entire generation of children.
Q: Did making this documentary take a personal toll on you?
A: Telling the story definitely brought the “bogeyman” of my generation right onto my doorstep. I had a very supportive team though.
Q: So many families lost their little boys. How did you approach the making of this doccie so as to not retraumatise them?
A: We interviewed three families who lost their brother/nephew/cousin. The approach was to make it as collaborative as possible, to allow them to tell their story, their experience.
We did not expect families to solve anything about the actual case.
It was a challenging interview for some to agree to.
Others agreed to participate because the death of their loved one still feels unresolved.
Others participated out of the disappointment that Norman Simons was released on parole.
I didn’t experience any antagonism from families about actually making the film.
The Van Rooyen family was very keen to speak.
Elroy van Rooyen’s aunt, Florence, still had a lot of anger towards Norman Simons.
So getting the buy-in of the family was an immediate yes.
However, Ryno [Elroy’s cousin] was not sure if he wanted to participate. I went to see him in person and spoke to him and then he agreed to speak.
He was very supported by his family.
The Samaai family were a bit more hesitant to be interviewed because it was very difficult for them.
While Van Rooyen’s case went to trial, the same didn’t happen for the Samaais.
They still have so many questions.
Q: What was the most difficult part of making this documentary?
A: The most challenging interview was the one with the criminal profiler, Micki Pistorius. That’s when everything became real.
I think in the other interviews, I could almost separate myself emotionally.
But with her, because she went so deep into the psychology of the serial killer, it was just so intense.
Going into those spaces was challenging.
Dealing with the case in front of you, the facts and the evidence, and then seeing those things was super difficult. Twenty-one boys were killed.
You think what it means for childhood, for people who grew up close to that community in that era.
If I tell anyone that I’ve done a documentary about the Station Strangler, they have a story to share about their experience during that time.
Q: There must be enormous community anger that he was released from prison last year.
A: There was indeed a mix of emotions. While there was anger there were also community members who feel he had served his time fairly.
Q: Does anyone believe he was innocent and that the real culprit was never caught?
A: Indeed. There are a good number of people who feel this way. Investigative journalist Henriette Geldenhuys and Ruth Jakuja, the ex-magistrate who wrote The Station Strangler: In the Case of S v Azval S Simons explore this thought in the documentary.
Q: Did you meet Simons or his family members? Do you know where he is? Should people be warned of his whereabouts, in your opinion?
A: No, he cannot give interviews as a condition of his parole. It is widely known that he is living in Parow. Yes, I think that community has the right to know.
Q: The doccie premiered at the Silwerskerm Film Festival. Were victims’ families present and what was their response?
A: Yes, all family members who we interviewed for the film were present at the documentary premiere. Their response was quite emotional. One family member says she still stands by all she said in the film, that Norman Simons is indeed the Station Strangler.
Q: Why should people watch this documentary?
A: I think that anyone who was triggered by the release of Norman Simons last year should definitely watch the film. Because the story touched an entire generation, people who still have questions should see the film. It is a part of our people’s history and to fully understand our people, people need to see this film.
• The Station Strangler premieres on Showmax on Wednesday, November 6.
Weekender
