Police seek information on Pinetown gang rapists

SHE had just had her hair done at the salon and was on her way to Pinecrest Shopping Centre, when a welldressed man approached her.

He introduced himself as Tumelo from Matatiele who worked for a security company in Durban.

She thought nothing of the conversation and assumed he was just being polite when he made small talk as they walked to the centre. She had no idea that she too would become a victim of his gang who have been raping women in the bushes between Lahee Park and View Road.

Speaking to the Sunday Tribune, the 21-year-old, who was still traumatised, told how she had been gang-raped earlier this month.

Three men dragged her into the bushes and took turns raping her, she said.

“They undressed me and pushed me on to my stomach. Everything happened from the back. I don’t even know if they used a condom because I couldn’t see, it was the worst 30 minutes of my life. After they had finished, they threw my clothes at me and told me to walk up straight and not look back,” she said, crying.

She said when he had struck up a conversation with her as she walked from the salon, he told her that he was going to the bank at the same centre.

At the centre, they had gone their separate ways, but ran into each other again.

“He asked me where I was going afterwards… I told him I was going to visit my relatives,” she said.

He told her he was going in the same direction to meet his mother not far from where she was going.

As they walked, a second man appeared and pulled out a knife. They both held her.

“I was shocked and couldn’t believe this guy had turned against me. I screamed and they threatened to stab me, they dragged me to the bushes closer to the park, I tried to resist and cried. A third man also joined them. They overpowered me and scratched me with a knife.”

She cried for help, but no one was nearby and a passing taxi did not pay any attention to what was going on.

“I am traumatised, the memories haunt me. This has affected me and my family. I have never left home since that day. I only go out when I am going to the police station. Tomorrow (Monday), I will be going to the hospital for my blood results and for the counselling session,” she said.

Her story is similar to three other cases reported to the police in Pinetown last month and this month.

Police have now turned to the public to help them close in on the gang. Pinetown Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit appealed to members of the community for information to help solve the cases.

Anyone with information should contact Detective Captain Chris Ngcobo at 031 325 5002 or Crime Stop at 08600 10111.