Bheki Cele Says Krugersdorp Victims Need Space to Process Trauma After Their Addresses Were Leaked Online

• Minister of Police Bheki Cele visited the young women who brutally gang raped in Krugersdorp over the weekend
• The minister stated that women are very traumatised and police have not been able to get full statements from them
• South Africans have shared their concerns about crime in the country and some people want Cele to resign

KRUGERSDORP - Police Minister Bheki Cele has pleaded with South Africans, particularly the media, to give the eight women who were gang raped in Krugersdorp time and space to process their trauma.

Cele was able to meet with some of the victims and their families at Alexandra Police Station on Sunday, 31 July.

The women, aged between 19 and 35, were part of a group of people who were shooting a music video near a mine dump on Thursday, 28 July, when a group of men, believed to be zama zamas (illegal miners), robbed the filming crew and brutally gang raped the women.

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During a media briefing outside the police station, Cele stated that the names and addresses of the victims had been leaked on social media. He went on to say the victims are very traumatised and are not in a good shape, according to SABC News.

Cele further stated that his department and the MEC for Community Safety Faith Mazibuko will ensure that the women are supported emotionally and will receive mental health care. At the moment, police have not been able to get full statements from the victims due to their trauma.

Over 80 men have been arrested in relation to the attacks and forensic services have already started to process their DNA, according to EWN.

South Africans express their frustration

Many South Africans took social media to air their frustrations about what happened to the eight women in Krugersdorp. Some people shared their experiences of terror in their communities, while others called on Cele to resign because they have lost faith in the police minister.

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Here are some comments:

@Benizela said:

"What happened in Krugersdorp is not your usual GBV case. It's terrorism, it's high-level crime meant to make a statement. We are under attack as a country."

@kayrol__ said:

"We are living in fear at Krugersdorp and surrounding areas. Basotho walk with AK-47s in daylight and rape women in groups. The police are trying but they do not have the resources and support from the higher authority, which makes it difficult for the police to assist this side."

Krugersdorp: South Africans furious that foreigners assaulted women

Briefly News reported that the horrific attack on the cast and crew filming a music video hit the headlines across the country recently.

When people learned about the horrific details and the experiences of the young women, they were livid. Many of them took to the internet, where they learned that many of the thugs are foreign nationals.

Source: Briefly News