While Manenberg may be synonymous with gang violence and crime, a new “evil” is instilling fear and outrage in the community.
This, as no less than 16 cats have been found brutally killed and mutilated, with several dumped in the same street.
Community leader Abdul Kareem Adams was one of the first residents to bring the crimes to the authorities’ attention, after one incident came too close to home.
“I found a cat in my yard with its stomach slit. The cat was cut almost in half. I posted about it in our community WhatsApp group asking who the cat belonged to. We then thought it was a stray cat and I buried the cat in my yard,” says Adams.
This is not the first nor, unfortunately, the last time he would come across this scene.
He says a neighbour’s cat had been assaulted with a brick and was still alive when found. In the next few days several other cats were found slaughtered in a similar way.
Of the cats found, many of them were found in Dwyka Street, where Adams lives.
As a cat lover, having cared for several strays, Adams says the community is outraged at the spate of brutal killings.
“It affects me. As a 50-year-old cat lover, to see this being done to cats, it’s terrible. If someone can do this to an animal, What can they do to small children?”
The Animal Welfare Society of South Africa (AWS), who has been called in to investigate the cases, shares Adams’ concerns.
Allan Perrins, AWS spokesperson, says in his 20 years working in animal welfare, he has never dealt with a case this severe before.
“This killing spree is unprecedented and, based on the perpetrators signature, we are confident that we are dealing with an individual serial killer. Whoever they are seems to have an insatiable blood lust and extremely sadistic tendencies,” says Perrins.
“It is these attributes that make them a danger to society, capable of unimaginable acts of violence and vengeance and may help explain why people are reluctant to come forward. This person represents a serious danger to everyone; not only defenceless cats and kittens. The sooner they are apprehended and incarcerated or institutionalised the better.”
Residents, in an attempt to stem the scourge, mobilised to patrol the area following a meeting on Friday 23 July. Over the weekend, another cat was found dead.
Resident Neal Nicholson, who has lived in the community for the past 37 years, says they suspect these crimes to be taking place between 02:00 and dawn.
Nicholson is part of the Jordan Walk Community Forum and says the incidents have brought about fear in residents who are wanting to take a stand, thus prompting the emergency community meeting and subsequent patrols. “We can never just say it is one person without evidence, because this is a serious case,” he says.
This adds to residents’ fears in reporting or even claiming their cats, he says. Adams and Nicholson have, therefore, been documenting and then burying the cats when they are found.
“What if a child must come across this. I am used to it, but sights like this stay with you,” he says.
An added element to these crimes is that the cats are not being killed where they are found. Perrins says killing an animal in this way would result in a lot of blood and Adams confirms no blood was found at the scenes.
Cats have been found with their abdomens split open, exposing their internal organs. Another had its head bashed in with a brick.
The scenes are described as gruesome.
Nicholson says because they do not know the cats’ internal anatomy, they cannot determine if anything is missing when the cats are found in these recent incidents.
He adds that a few years ago, cats were being decapitated nearby.
Residents are baffled as to what the motive could be, however, speculation that these animals are being drained of their blood for potential use in dog fighting is one theory. Investigations into this is ongoing.
Perrins says they are not ruling anything out and are not concerned what the motivation is, their goal is to catch the person responsible.
“There is a lot of speculation, and rumours are rife but nothing substantial. In any event, how can there be any form of rational justification for these heinous crimes? We are dealing with one very demented individual. They are pure evil and it would be unwise for us to assume anything at this juncture,” he says.
Perrins adds that they have had isolated cases in the Manenberg area before, but nothing like this.
AWS has since put a call out for residents to come forward with information that could lead to the arrest of the person, or persons involved in these attacks.
The first call for information was made on their social media platforms on Thursday 15 July after a cat was discovered.
Authorities believe the person is resident of Manenberg.
Manenberg police spokesperson Capt Ian Bennet says no cases have been opened or registered at Manenberg police station.
He says residents should open cases as these incidents are criminal; but to date nothing has been registered.
Perrins implores residents to come forward with information.
“By choosing to do nothing they are allowing evil to triumph and buying this serial killer time to continue with his sadistic killing spree with impunity. Whoever this individual is, represents a real danger to society and must be stopped before his actions escalate and further lives are lost,” says Perrins.
“We have been working around the clock to try and catch the perpetrator, who is going to slip up, and when he does we will be there. The local community needs to be commended for taking pro-active steps but must not take the law into their own hands. Working together we stand a far greater chance of rooting out this monster.”
