'One rapist, one noose'

2007-01-23 22:53

Dries Liebenberg

Scottburgh - Fury at the country's brazen criminals and the government's inability to address crime, came close to boiling point at the local magistrate's court on Tuesday.

"We are waiting for you, you scum!" was the message from a group of 200 people - whites, blacks, Indians, housewives, professional people, elderly people and schoolchildren.

Among the slogans on placards that were waved at court were: "One rapist, one noose", "Wanted: A new government to sort out crime", "Mr Mbeki, where do we stand?", "Stop crime or no taxes", and "Rapists must be castrated".

'We are waiting for you, you scum!'

The crowd had gathered at the court for the first appearance of three men facing multiple charges, after a crime rampage along the KwaZulu Natal South Coast in December.

Singer-turned-activist Steve Hofmeyr was there to shout the message of the 200 protesters at the packed courtroom, to the three accused.

"We are waiting for you, you scum!" was the crowd's message.

The suspects were later booed and jeered by the crowd, in Zulu and English.

The men are accused of gang-raping three young women during an armed robbery at a holiday house in Pennington.

Prosecutor Christelle Rossouw said the men also were suspected of robbery with aggravating circumstances, attempted murder and indecent assault.

Gang-raped and braaied

Five friends from Durban, two men and the three young women who were raped, were relaxing in the pool and preparing a braai at a holiday home in the Pennington complex, about 21:00 on December 29, when three men attacked them.

The robbers held the group hostage for about two hours and took turns in raping the women, in front of the men.

They also helped themselves to the meat that was ready for the braai when they overpowered the young people.

An older couple from Gauteng, who were clearing up after their meal at a nearby house, also were attacked and the woman was indecently assaulted.

Police spokesperson Zandra Hechter said that, so far, the men, who were arrested on January 6 near Port Shepstone after a burglary in Umtentweni, had been linked to 25 cases of burglary and house-breaking along the South Coast at that time.

Touched by the solidarity

The three accused, who are 23, 26 and 29 years old, applied on Tuesday for legal aid and they are due to appear in court on Thursday to apply for bail.

In an unusual gesture, magistrate Chris Schoeman said after adjourning the proceedings that he had been touched by the show of solidarity with the victims and he stated clearly the court's abhorrence of crime.

In his message from the Bench, he quoted from Alan Paton's Cry the Beloved Country: "Have no doubt it is fear in the land, for what can men do when so many have grown lawless?"

Shortly before the proceedings, the rape survivors entered the court with tense expressions and took up seats behind the dock, with people in the public gallery making way for them.

When the accused were returning to the cells after their brief appearance, people called them dogs, in Zulu and English, and shouted "Die, you scum."

'A different set of rules'

Shouts were heard of "Hang them high" and "Bring them here, we'll cut their goolies off".

Hofmeyr, who owns a house at Pennington, asked for "a different set of rules" to deal with "the animals that stalk our streets".

"I'm so angry I can scarcely keep my hands off them," said Hofmeyr, who had shouted at the three accused.

- Beeld