A gang stripped a South African man before supergluing him to an exercise bicycle while they ransacked his house, according to a report Thursday.

SAPA news agency said the attackers, dressed in suits, hijacked a man in his 50s and forced him at gunpoint to take them to his home in Johannesburg.

"The victim was then forced to strip, after which he was superglued to the seat of an exercise bicycle, his hands were superglued, as were his feet and then his mouth was superglued shut," SAPA quoted Mark Stokoe, a spokesman for emergency services Netcare 911, as saying.

The man was rescued about three hours later when his partner arrived home, SAPA said.

South Africa is battling one of the world's highest crime rates which has prompted concerns that violence might mar the 2010 soccer World Cup, which the country is due to host.

A police spokesman could not immediately comment on the report. No one at Netcare 911 could be reached.

© Reuters 2007. All rights reserved.



May 4, 2007

Robbers glue victim to exercise cycle, Associated Press

©AP

Kobus van Deventer poses for a photograph on his exercise bike in his Vorna Valley, Johannesburg home Wednesday May 2, 2007. A gang stripped van Deventer before supergluing him the exercise bicycle while they ransacked his house, according to a report Thursday. (AP Photo/Alan Murdoch-Beeld)

A gang of armed robbers forced a man to strip naked and then glued him to his exercise bike and sealed his lips with more glue while they ransacked his house, according to a published report.

Kobus van Deventer, 50, was left stuck to the bike with super-strong glue for three hours until he was rescued by his girlfriend, the South African Press Association reported.

Van Deventer was carjacked Wednesday while driving in Johannesburg's northern suburbs, the association reported.

His assailants, dressed in suits and armed with handguns and an automatic assault rifle, forced their way into van Deventer's car and made the property developer drive to his house.

"The victim was then forced to strip, after which he was super-glued to the seat of an exercise bicycle, his hands were super-glued as were his feet and then his mouth was super-glued shut," Mark Stokoe, spokesman for emergency services Netcare 911, told SAPA. Workers from Netcare, a private company, provided aid at the scene.

Stokoe said the robbers ransacked van Deventer's house and safe while "helping themselves to Chivas Regal and the like."

South Africa has one of the highest crime rates in the world, with about 50 people being slain everyday. The government is desperate to counter the country's violent image, especially in the run up to the soccer World Cup it will host in 2010.