Rape protesters call for blood

2008-03-07 16:07

Durban - Protesters enraged at the gang rape of a 21-year-old Durban woman gathered outside a city police station on Friday, threatening to kill the five men accused of the crime.

More than 1 000 people had earlier turned up at the Pinetown Magistrate's Court in Durban expecting the appearance of the five, blocking all roads to the court with cars and motorcycles.

However, it emerged that the five had already appeared in court on Thursday and were refused bail.

When they heard this, the protesters descended on the Hillcrest police station about 20km away, where it was believed the five men were being held.

There, they gathered at the entrance to the station, and one man parked a bakkie so that it blocked vehicles from going in or out.

A senior police officer addressed the crowd and appealed for calm.

Several protesters and one police officer on the scene said that a loudhailer was used to tell the five men in Zulu that they would be killed.

Some protesters carried posters, among them ones reading "No bail for rapists", and "Slow death for rapists".

There was a heavy police presence monitoring the protest, but there were no immediate reports of damage or arrests.

One protester, Michelle van Heerden said: "We are really disappointed in the government. The death penalty should be reinstated.

"And the Human Rights Commission should publicise this gang rape as much as it is publicising the Orange Free State University case (where four white students urinated into the food of black workers)."

She said that if the government was serious about corruption and crime, then "they need to act now or we will all be doomed".

The 21-year-old woman was gang raped in a sugarcane plantation in Hillcrest on March 2 while her father was held at gunpoint nearby.

The two had been fishing at a local dam when they were accosted by seven men.

Superintendent Danelia Veldhuizen confirmed that the five men arrested in connection with the incident appeared in court on Thursday.

She said they were refused bail.

Veldhuizen confirmed that two attackers were still on the loose.

Both Veldhuizen and Superintendent Vincent Mdunge denied reports circulating among protesters that other men had been arrested for raping a six-year-old boy in the Hillcrest area.

Mdunge said: "There is no such case at the (Hillcrest police) station and nobody has been arrested for such a case."

The five are to appear again on March 20.

- SAPA