Rhodes Park attackers still at large

Johannesburg - Gauteng police are still on the hunt for the 12 men who allegedly raped a woman and drowned two men at Rhodes Park in Kensington, east of Johannesburg, at the weekend.

"No arrests have been made so far. The investigation is progressing," said spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Lungelo Dlamini.

Earlier, the Sowetan reported that one of the women, who fled the scene and went looking for help during the attack, had since fled to her home in Port Elizabeth.

The woman and her partner were reportedly visiting friends in Johannesburg at the weekend. Both couples had gone to the park after attending a church service together.

As they were leaving, the couples were accosted by a gang of 12 men who allegedly beat the two men, then raped one of the women in front of them, before throwing both men into the dam where they drowned.

The pregnant woman had allegedly fought off the men and ran to a nearby house, to alert someone.

Dlamini said the police had spoken to all the witnesses involved and he was not aware of any of the witnesses having left the province.

"We have contacted everyone that we needed to contact. We are not aware of any movement of the witnesses," he said.

He said police in the area were patrolling the area, including the park.

City of Johannesburg Mayor Parks Tau said a patrol roster was already being developed by stakeholders including park rangers, the Johannesburg Metro Police Department, the South African Police Services and the local and private policing forums.

"Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo, which falls under the department of community development, will also increase its campaign to create public awareness on park safety, operating hours and their general safety status," Tau's spokesperson Phindile Chauke said.

This article first appeared on News24 – see here.