Five men stormed the Chicago Bar at Tshamnanga village outside Beit Bridge. They ordered the patrons to lie down at gunpoint and stole more than R4 000 and several cellphones.

The suspects then raided a nearby home and looted household property worth US$500. They robbed the victims of US$80 and R1 700 before they gang-raped four girls, who are members of the same family.

The local police spokesperson, Chief Supt Lawrence Chinhengo, said the incident occurred on Easter Saturday at around 23:00 at the Tshamnanga area, about 16km out of the border town.

“Five men, one of them brandishing a pistol, stormed the Chicago Bar and ordered the patrons to lie down on the ground. The other suspects, who were armed with machetes and sjamboks, started assaulting the patrons, resulting in everyone fleeing in different directions," he said.

Some the victims sustained severe injuries as they tried to escape during the commotion and they were taken to the Beit Bridge District Hospital for treatment.

Chinhengo said soon after that, the five suspects proceeded to a nearby homestead where they found people drinking traditional beer. “They ordered everyone to lie down before ransacking the house and finding the money. They also severely stabbed three men who resisted being searched,” he said. The suspects then raped four victims, aged 18, 19, 13 and 11, before they left with household property.

Local villagers reported the matter to the police and a manhunt was launched, leading to the arrest of four of the suspects and the subsequent recovery of some of the stolen property. The stolen items included a car radio, a DVD player, a jacket and the shop keys, among other goods.

“Soon after receiving the report, we deployed officers from our dog sections and they teamed up with villagers and tracked down the suspects. “They managed to arrest one of the suspects, who then led them to a bushy area near the Limpopo River where the other three men were hiding. Some stolen goods were also recovered,” Chinhengo said.

“We believe these suspects are operating as a syndicate and as police we out in full force to smash the racket. We are also appealing to anyone who might have information that could lead to the arrest of the remaining suspect to inform us or any nearest police station,” Chinhengo said.

He said the four men were still in police custody, pending investigations. They are expected to appear in court soon.