More than 80 men suspected of the gang rapes of eight women and the armed robbery of a video production crew in the South African town of Krugersdorp, west of Johannesburg, appeared in court on Monday.
The suspects are allegedly illegal miners known as zama-zamas who dig for gold in the Johannesburg area's many closed mine shafts. Many of the illegal miners are foreigners, according to local reports. The zama-zama gangs of illegal miners are also blamed for widespread crime in the area, according to local residents.The gang rapes occurred when a crew filming a music video at one of the abandoned mines was attacked by armed men on Thursday last week, according to police.
"The suspects ordered everyone to lay down and proceeded to rape eight of the women and robbed everyone of their belongings before fleeing the scene," he said. The crew was robbed of all their video equipment. Police are investigating 32 counts of rape, he said.Women in groups calling for aciton in South Africa. The 80 men are also accused of armed robbery of a video production crew in the ming town, west of Johannesburg.
Death sentence... nothing else would solve the vermin