Several armed gunmen forced their way into a music video shoot and raped about eight young from the casting team in a small South African town this week, said Police on Friday, July 29.
The gang of gunmen comprised of about 20 men, of which three have been arrested by the security forces till now. The attack took place on Thursday, July 28, on the outskirts of Krugersdorp, which is a small town located in the west of Johannesburg, said Police Minister Bheki Cele.
The gang attacked the cast and crew while they were unloading equipment and preparing the set, Cele further added.
The eight females who were raped were aged between 18 and 35, stated Cele, adding that one woman was raped by ten gunmen and another by eight of the suspects.
Even the men were stripped naked and were robbed of their personal things, he further added during a press conference of the ruling party in Johannesburg.
It seems like they were foreign nations, mainly they are Zama zamas, he said while referring to people who illicitly exploit mines in the nation.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa told during the same conference that he had asked the police officers to make sure that the accused were caught and dealt with.
In South Africa, cases of rape are reported very few, but on average, one such crime is reported to the police every 12 minutes in the nation.
On the other hand, South Africa has witnessed an increase of 1,666 in the number of sexual assaults reported to the SAPS (South African Police Service) as compared to last year. During the first three months of this year, the number of sexual assault cases jumped by 13.7% to 13,799.
The statistics were announced by Bheki Cele, Minister of Police. The date compared lockdown Level 1 this year with Level 3 last year. But, the data only comprise the information reported to the SAPS.
