A Blouberg woman is urging others to be extra vigilant after narrowly avoiding a potential kidnapping while out in the area.
The woman, who asked to remain unnamed, tells Cape Town ETC that she was walking opposite the Engen in Beach Front headed towards the pubs at Marina Circle at about 9pm on Thursday night [October 22], when a man in a white Mercedes pulled out of a parking lot and urged her to get in the car.
The woman explains that at the time, a sex worker in the area had been walking in front of her but moved away too quickly for the man to call her into his car, so he stopped for her instead.
As the woman walked away, the driver followed her in his vehicle and tried to corner her. She ran across the road and the driver continued to follow her before speeding off as a large crowd had gathered outside.
She ran to a nearby security guard to report the incident, and was told that they recognised the car, although they did not explain why, and began patrolling for him.
Later that same evening, the woman was walking with her brother when she noticed a man staring at her. Feeling unsafe, they began to leave but then noticed the man was following them. Instead of going home as planned, she went into a local pub and asked someone to call the police. The man who had been following her then left and security arrived to search for him.
“Although he was not physical, and he doesn’t force you into the car, it’s the whole idea of knowing that he won’t leave you alone because he literally followed me and tried to cut me off with his car. To me, that’s an act of harassment, it’s not something you do to a woman,” she says.
The woman advises women to avoid walking around alone and to be conscious of your surroundings. Take note of as many details as much as possible, because you never know when you’ll need it.
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