PROTEST AT ZOLISWA NKONYANA MURDER TRIAL

The 07-07-07 End Hate Campaign will stage a protest at the trial of the alleged murderers of Zoliswa Nkonyana, who was killed by a mob over two years ago – reportedly for being a lesbian.

The campaign announced on Friday that the Commission for Gender Equality (CGE) in the Western Cape had successfully applied for a permit to stage the protest.

The protest will take place on Monday 21 and Tuesday 22 April from 8:30 a.m. onwards in front of the Khayelitsha Magistrate Court buildings.

A memorandum will also be handed to the chief state prosecutor detailing the demands of the LGBTI community and the 07-07-07 campaign.

Nineteen-year-old Nkonyana was beaten, stoned and stabbed to death by a group of around 20 men in Khayelitsha in February 2006. A friend was also attacked by the mob, but managed to escape.

The woman, who has not been identified, has been in protective custody and is expected to appear in court in the coming week as the main witness in the case.

According to Keegan Lekay, Legal Officer for the CGE, nine men will face trial for the murder.

The 07-07-07 End Hate Campaign was launched following the brutal killing of two lesbians, Sizakele Sigasa and Salome Massoa, in Soweto on July 7, 2007. The campaign is named after the date of their murders.