Eight men have been arrested on charges of rape and robbery after they allegedly accosted security guards at Department of Transport offices in Merebank.
KwaZulu-Natal Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube, who condemned the attack, said the incident took place at about 2.30am on Tuesday. Police said the robbers made off with equipment valued at R280 000.
Dube-Ncube said the men gained entry by scaling a wall. “They took all security guards on duty hostage, bound them with their own shoelaces and subjected them to assault at gunpoint. In another room three female officers were raped at gunpoint.”
Dube added that support would be offered to the victims.
“The latest incident is an embarrassment and an indication that some men do not belong in our society.
The provincial government has already assigned psycho-social support to the victims and affected staff as well as the necessary protection to support the victims of this criminal act. We will be visiting the victims to further assess their condition.”
KZN police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda said that police arrested eight suspects.
“The matter was reported to the police and on Tuesday afternoon the suspects were identified, cornered and taken in for questioning. After the eight were positively identified during an identity parade, they were charged with business robbery and rape.
“The suspects, whose ages range between 19 and 39 years old, will appear in the Durban Magistrate’s Court on Thursday,” Netshiunda said.
Reacting to the incident which came during the 16 Days of Activism against gender-based violence (GBV) campaign, Blessed Gwala, the IFP’s provincial spokesperson for community safety and liaison, said that perpetrators of gender-based violence must be punished.
“We need to deal with perpetrators and urge the courts to show no mercy to anyone found guilty of these crimes.
We plead with our justice system to be tough on repeat offenders, and for the Department of Correctional Services to exercise caution and vigilance when granting parole,” Gwala said.
The IFP believes that the fight against GBV must be a 365-day-a-year project, not only during 16 Days of Activism.”
DA KZN community safety and liaison spokesperson Sharon Hoosen said that women continued to be targeted whether in the privacy of their home, travelling to work, in public spaces and even while at work.
“For far too long perpetrators of rape get away with it and walk freely on our streets while the victims will be scarred for life. It is unacceptable that the place where women have to work are also becoming high risk to them.”
Commission for Gender Equality spokesperson Javu Baloyi said that the organisation was saddened by the incident.
“We need to ensure that measures are put in place so that women employees are safe at work.There needs to be additional security and transport for female employees at night. We also need police to be visible and do regular patrols so those women that are working can be safe.”
The Mercury