MINISTER in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane has joined the chorus of those who condemned the Krugersdorp gang rape incident.
Nkoana-Mashabane, through the statement of her department, said South Africa is at war with itself.
The minister said the war declared by men against women in the country must be met with the harshest response and sentences.
"We cannot continue as normal when women in their diversity are statistics and live in constant fear in a free country.
"Unemployment is high and to hear that these young women were shooting a music video when they were approached by a group of men who raped and robbed them of their belongings is despicable. We are coordinating our response to support the women violated in this despicable manner. "
Nkoana-Mashabane said, "As more details come to light, I am angered by the depravity displayed by these vile perpetrators.
"We plead with SAPS to continue to search for the perpetrators and bring those responsible to book. The eight women must have justice served."
The minister further said, "The law must take its course, but in cases of this nature the Justice System must show no mercy when sentencing these perpetrators. These perpetrators must receive a harsh punishment for their crimes, as there is no place in society for them."
On Friday, police Minister Bheki Cele announced that they have arrested over 60 suspects in the West Rand.
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EFF's spokesman Sinawo Thambo said in their statement, "The EFF condemns this crime and welcomes the swift action by the police to apprehend the suspected criminals.
"The arrest of these suspects provides little comfort to the victims as they were inflicted with permanent physical and emotional scars. The fact that gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) prevalence continues to decapitate the humanity of women is an indication of the deep-seated misogynist rot flourishing in our country."
He added, "It further proves that women, in general, have been abandoned by the law enforcement agencies. Men have appropriated to themselves the right to inflict unimaginable pain on women and they do this with impunity because of the failed justice system. 67 men decided to be part of or complicit in violently gang-raping women and none of them had the consciousness nor morality to intervene to stop this brutality."
