JOHANNESBURG, South Africa – Four women filmed repeatedly beating another woman while she was on the ground, before shaving off her hair, have appeared in court charged with kidnapping and assault.

The women, speaking in Shona in the assault video circulated online, accused the victim of being a “husband snatcher”.

The video caused widespread outrage and prompted Zimbabwean police to appeal for the public’s help in identifying the assailants. But it has now emerged that the assault took place in Durban, South Africa.

Zimbabweans Jane Nyama, Adda Mukwanda, Memort Maraura and Juliana Chaputika were arraigned before a Durban magistrate on Thursday. They also face immigration offences.

The women were released on bail and will return to court in June.

The video opens with one of the assailants, driving in a car, saying “nhasi tirikumamisa hure” (today we’re going to make a prostitute soil her pants). It soon turns to a woman lying on the ground being whipped and kicked. The assailant goes for a knife which she uses to cut the victim’s hair.

“The knife is not sharp enough,” says a woman who appears to be doing the filming.

The assailant, having discarded the knife, continues kicking the victim accusing her of being a “husband snatcher.”

“Next time you see my husband you will run away,” she says while kicking out at the wailing woman who keeps begging her to stop.

The woman leading the assault then picks up the knife again and begins cutting off the victim’s dreadlocks. When the victim resists, two more women appear in camera shot to assist the main assailant by holding the victim’s hands while her hair is cut with the blunt knife.