South African police have arrested 12 men accused of gang-raping a woman outside Johannesburg, local media reported on Friday.
The Police spokeswoman, Lungelo Dlamini, said eight men raped the 23-year-old woman, who was caught by the gang as she was walking home near a mining area earlier this week. Four other gang members were arrested for their involvement in the incident.
South Africa's high rate of violent crimes against women has been in the spotlight lately, following a series of high-profile cases.
South African President Jacob Zuma addressed the issue in parliament this week, calling on the police to use all means necessary to crack down on the problem.
"We have directed the police to show no mercy to perpetrators of these crimes," Zuma said.
Officially, some 65,000 women are sexually abused each year in South Africa, although activists say the number is likely to be higher.
They have also called on the government to take substantive steps to combat rape.
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