President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to deliver a National Women’s Day speech in Richmond in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands province today amid ongoing protests in Gauteng’s West Rand following the brutal gang-rape of eight women.
The rapes took place at a garbage dump in Kagiso, where a music video was shot two weeks ago.
In 1994, August 9 was declared National Women’s Day in South Africa to commemorate women’s struggle against oppression.
It was on this day in 1956 that 20,000 women marched to union buildings to protest the pass laws. It was one of the largest protests in the country’s history.
In recent years, gender-based violence has become one of the biggest issues facing women in South Africa.
Last month, the case against 81 suspects arrested in Krugersdorp appeared at Krugersdorp Magistrates’ Court.
The following video is a report from the court:
They were arrested after the gang-rape of eight women who were part of a production crew filming a music video. At this stage, none of the suspects is involved in the rapes.
Many of them were arrested on charges of illegal mining, possession of explosives, possession of stolen goods, illegal firearms and ammunition, and violations of the Immigration Act.
Of the 81 suspects, 20 were minors.
Police said a film crew was working on location when the attack took place near the mine dump in Krugersdorp.
According to the police, the assailants with weapons gang-raped the women and robbed them of their belongings.
The video below presents the briefing of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the media:
