New Year’s Day hate murder: Noxie to be laid to rest

Thanks to a fundraising campaign, the young lesbian woman murdered in Strand on New Year’s Day will be laid to rest next to her sister in Bredarsdorp.

Noxolo Xakeka (23), known by many as Noxie, was stabbed to death during an altercation, allegedly related to her sexuality, at a party on the 1st of January.

According to reports, Noxie became the focus of anti-LGBT abuse from one of the male guests. He is alleged to have touched her and told her to “stop this [lesbian] business” and that she needed “to take a penis”.

An argument ensued and the man is alleged to have taken out a knife and stabbed her three times. She later died in hospital.

Noxie left behind a six-year-old son, her parents and her partner. She’d wished to be buried in Bredasdorp next to her sister, who died in 2009 from a heart condition, but her family had limited resources to pay for the funeral.

Cape Town LGBTI rights and services organisation Triangle Project asked the community to come to the family’s aid by donating cash. The campaign was a success and Noxie will be laid to rest on Saturday, 20 January.

“With the money, we were able to pay for the funeral, which included having her taken from Cape Town to Bredarsdorp,” said Sharon Cox, Health & Support Services Manager at Triangle. “A taxi was arranged for her close friends to be able to attend the funeral and the balance was given to the family for catering.”

Cox thanked “all who contributed to ensuring Noxie could be laid to rest next to her sister”.

The man accused of her murder appeared in court earlier this month and has been granted bail. Cox expressed Triangle’s disappointment at the suspect being out on bail and how the matter was handled.

“We are appalled at the fact that one of the reasons that bail was granted was that he had sustained an injury,” she said. “This injury took place during the course of the altercation but was raised in his favour at the bail hearing.”

Cox also revealed that Noxie’s family was not told about the hearing. “They were advised after the fact that bail had been granted.” She added: “As this murder took place during the festive season when it is difficult to reach anyone, the organisation too was unaware of the dates of the hearings.”

A moving memorial service attended by Noxie’s friends and family, community members and activists was held on the 6th of January at the Nomzamo Community Hall in Strand.

The suspect in her murder has been ordered to appear in court again in April.