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Gang-rape sparks protest
31/01/2006 13:09 - (SA)
Johannesburg - Protesters gathered outside Zwelitsha magistrate's court on Tuesday to protest against the bail application of eight initiates charged with gang-raping a 27-year-old woman last week, police said.
"The community at large were angry about the incident and said that it was a disgrace," King William's Town police spokesperson Captain Thozama Solani said.
One of the suspects, a 16-year-old, was released into the custody of his parents, while the other seven were taken back into police custody, Solani said.
She said it was believed the woman was walking to her home with her boyfriend after visiting a shebeen late at night. The suspects then accosted her boyfriend and gang-raped her.
The accused had recently graduated from initiation school in Zwelitsha and allegedly raped the woman to remove a white substance (ifutha) used by initiates.
Solani added that some of the protests included a curfew on all shebeens at 21:00, saying that excessive drinking was leading to crimes of this nature.
"We are planning to host an anti-rape campaign in Zwelitsha during February. The community needs to be educated on these matters," she said.
More protesters were expected on Wednesday, when the suspects would appear in court to make formal bail applications, said Solani.
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