South Africa's brutal crime wave struck a popular Cape Town tourist district yesterday when the owner of a gay massage parlour and seven of his employees were killed.South Africa's brutal crime wave struck a popular Cape Town tourist district yesterday when the owner of a gay massage parlour and seven of his employees were killed.The victims were tied up with tape, shot in the head and some had their throats cut. Six died at the scene, while two others died in hospital. Two more were seriously wounded.Police spokesman Etienne Terblanche described the scene at the Sizzlers massage parlour and escort agency as "horrendous".South African police are investigating links to organised crime, gangs and drug dealing. But the Gay and Lesbian Alliance (GALA) said they feared yesterday morning's massacre in Cape Town's Sea Point district was a hate crime."We have been very concerned about threats issued by various fringe groups in society over recent months," said the director of the Lesbian and Gay Equality Project.One of the victims managed to escape to a nearby petrol station, bleeding profusely from his head wound, where he recounted the drama to an attendant before collapsing. He was in a stable condition in hospital last night.When police arrived on the scene at about 4am, they found six bodies and three men with horrendous wounds crawling around the house in agony. Two of the three died in hospital: the third was in critical condition last night.
The rest of the house was mostly untouched, although it appeared the killers searched for money or valuables.Apparently acting on information from the two injured survivors, who were also shot in the head, police were last night hunting for four white men in a white BMW.One of the attackers was said to have a tattoo with the name of a Johannesburg gang, "Fast Guns", on his arm. Fast Guns is believed to have links to a Cape Town gang known as the Americans, and is reported to have been brought in to carry out slayings in Cape Town in the past.