Showmax doccie The Station Strangler: 'We wanted to look at the haunting of a community'

Award-winning director Nadine Cloete joins Aubrey Masango.

Listen below.

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A gripping new true-crime documentary soon available to stream on Showmax delves into the chilling story of the Station Strangler, one of South Africa’s most notorious serial killers.

The documentary, simply titled The Station Strangler, explores the horrific murders of at least 21 boys in the Cape Flats during the 1980s and 1990s.

For years, the community was haunted by fear as the killer targeted young boys, lured them to secluded areas, and strangled them.

In 1995 Norman Afzal Simons was convicted of the rape and murder of 10-year-old Elroy van Rooyen and sentenced to 25 years behind bars.

He became eligible for parole in July 2023 and was controversially released on parole after
spending 28 years in prison.

Cloete says there were mixed reactions to his release.

"He's been released... there were really mixed reactions... people feeling like justice had not been served. People in Parow, where he's believed to be living now, were very upset that he's coming there... Other people felt he had served his time."

- Nadine Cloete, Director - The Station Strangler

"It's brought out old anxieties, because you had a whole generation that grew up with... this boogey man."

- Nadine Cloete, Director - The Station Strangler

The documentary sheds light on the complexities surrounding the case.

While Simons was arrested and convicted for one murder, many believe the real killer might still be out there.

"He was only convicted of one crime... but because there was a pattern of how the boys were being killed, how old they were, the communities they came from... people just felt like, when if he was arrested for Elroy, surely he must have committed the other murders."

- Nadine Cloete, Director - The Station Strangler

Despite the speculation around Simons' suspected links to the other murders, Cloete says he has never spoken publically.

"He never made any public statement. He never spoke in court. He never spoke at the inquest."

- Nadine Cloete, Director - The Station Strangler

Cloete says the documentary doesn't only focus on Simons and the killings.

"We wanted to look at the haunting of a community."

- Nadine Cloete, Director - The Station Strangler

The Station Strangler features interviews with family members of the victims, lead investigator JD Kotze, serial killer profiler Micki Pistorius, and Dr Allan Boesak, among others.  

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The Station Strangler is available for streaming on Showmax from 6 November.

Scroll up to the audio player to listen to the interview.