The ordeal SAPS officer Baswabile Mildred Silowe endured is not survived by many in a country that struggles with souring gender-based violence cases.
SAPS officer survives ordeal: How Silowe went missing
The 26-year-old from Boiketlo Village in Casteel went missing on Sunday 12 July, on her way to her SAPS post in Lydenburg, 125.8KM away in the expansive Mpumalanga province.
According to police spokesperson Brigadier Leonard Hlathi, Silowe had to take two taxis to get to work. The first ride ended at the Bushbuckridge Shopping Complex and right before she was about to get into the second taxi to Lydenburg, the 26-year-old officer was offered a lift by an unsuspecting man.
We know from Silowe’s statement that the vehicle (its description is unknown at this stage) was occupied by more than one man when she accepted the offer.
A lift turned into a nightmare Silowe can’t recall
Right after she got into the vehicle, the SAPS officer sent a notice to her sister, informing her of the change of travel plans. This would be the last contact Silowe made before she went missing.
“Moments later, her sister called to check up on her several times but failed to reach her. She also called Constable Silowe’s roommate who confirmed that she had not arrived [in Lydenburg]. The sister then grew worried after failed attempts to trace her and reported the matter to the police who immediately launched a search,” Brigadier Hlathi noted in a statement.
Sunday came and went with no trace of Silowe. She was supposed to report for duty on Monday morning but she never pitched. Fearing the worst, her Lydenburg colleagues ramped up the search and thanks to their relentless efforts, the SAPS officer was found alive, hundreds of kilometres away in Calcutta, next to a set of traffic lights on a busy interchange.
“She told police that she recalls being covered with a cloth on her face by one of the men in the car that had offered her a lift back to Lydenburg, where she became unconscious thereafter,” Hlathi revealed.
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When she awoke, the 26-year-old constable realised that she had been dumped in a bushy area, her hands and feet bound with rope, and all of her belongings had been taken.
“She then managed to roll to a road nearby where she was spotted by a passing ambulance. The police were summoned immediately and the victim was then taken to hospital for medical treatment and has since been discharged,” Hlathi stated.
The unidentified men involved in this horrific incident are still at large. At this time, it is not clear what charges the police are pursuing in this case, as it is not known if Silowe was sexually assaulted while she was unconscious.
