Kamogelo Olaitan
Five women were allegedly gang raped and their male colleagues badly assaulted during business robberies at funeral parlours in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Six armed men stormed the funeral parlours situated along R37 road at Malipsdrift outside Lebowakgomo in Limpopo.
Limpopo police spokesperson Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo said two female friends were on their way to visit a boyfriend working at Wisani funeral parlour when they were attacked by six men who grabbed them and took them to the first mortuary where they shot and injured one male employee.
“They then proceeded to the next mortuary where they found three female employees and six male employees and badly assaulted them,” Mojapelo said.
“The suspects used the butts of their firearms to hit the men until they were unconscious.”
He said once the male employees were unconscious, the five women were gang raped.
They were also robbed of their cellphones and belongings before the suspects took the money from the safe and fled the scene.
The victims were discovered by another employee who was reporting for duty and he called the police.
All the victims were taken to the hospital.
Provincial police commissioner Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe has already activated a team of investigators to hunt down the suspects.
“The team will spend sleepless nights hunting down these heartless criminals,” Hadebe said.
“I urge community members to come forward with any information that may assist the police in cracking these cases as quickly as possible.”
Five counts of rape, three counts of kidnapping, attempted murder and business robbery have been opened.
Anyone with information that may lead to the arrest of the suspects must please contact Lieutenant Colonel Lehlagane Mamadisa on 079 894 5482, or the Crime Stop number 0860010111, or the nearest police station or send the report via MySAPS App.
