Five men have been arrested after a 14-year-old girl was gang-raped and fatally stabbed in Port Elizabeth.

Police spokesperson Col Priscilla Naidu said all the suspects have gang affiliations.

Eastern Cape police commissioner Lt-Gen Liziwe Ntshinga said a multidisciplinary team had cracked the case.

The team included Gelvandale detectives, Crime Intelligence, Provincial Crime Scene Investigation, the Anti-Gang Unit, Public Order Policing, CIT Combatting Team and the State Pathologist's office.

The Helenvale teenager's body was found on Thursday, in bushes between Gelvandale and Algoa Park. She had sustained multiple stab wounds.

On Friday, she was identified as Patronicia (Mandy) Jordaan from Helenvale. She was last seen by a relative on Monday, January 4.

Naidu said she was alleged to have been in the company of 12 men on Tuesday night, “at a house which is used for smoking drugs”.

“She was allegedly gang raped. At about 3am on Wednesday, everyone left the house and split up with [the teenager] in the company of six males.”

The arrests were made on Saturday. The suspects are aged between 18-33 years. Further arrests are expected.

The arrested suspects will appear in the Port Elizabeth magistrate's court on Monday on charges of rape and murder.

Ntshinga, who expressed “shock and sadness at such a heinous act of violence against a helpless child”, said police would oppose bail for the suspects.

“Violence against children is totally intolerable ... The SAPS reiterates its commitment to eradicate and eliminate all forms of gender-based violence and we call on our citizens to unite against this sick scourge,” said Ntshinga.

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