ANOTHER HORROR LESBIAN MURDER
A lesbian activist was raped and brutally murdered in the early hours of Sunday morning over the Easter weekend in Kwa-Thema township, outside of Johannesburg.
In a statement, the Ekurhuleni Pride Organising Committee (EPOC) announced that the body of one of its members, 24 year old Noxola Nogwaza, was found in an alleyway on April 24th.
“Noxola’s head was completely deformed, her eyes out of the sockets, her brain spilt, teeth scattered all around and face crushed beyond recognition,” said the organisation.
According to witnesses, she had also been stabbed with glass. An empty beer bottle and a used condom were found near her genitals. A large pavement brick, that is believed to have been used to crush her head, was found by her side.
EPOC and the Coalition of African Lesbians (CAL) condemned the murder and noted that Nogwaza was raped and killed in a similar manner as Eudy Simelane, another member of EPOC, almost three years ago.
Simelane’s body was found in an open field in Kwa-Thema in April 2008. Last year, a gay man in the same township was reportedly attacked by eight men, who attempted to rape him while threatening to kill gay people in the area.
“It is very clear that these rapists are on a mission. We will however not rest until justice prevails,” said Ntsupe, Chairperson of EPOC, who described Nogwaza’s murder as “definitely a hate crime.”
Ntsupe added: “It is the responsibility of the South African Government to protect all its citizens. Hate crimes against LGBT people in this country are on the rise and the government should come out openly against these actions. As a regional advocacy organisation, CAL will work with EPOC and others to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to book.”
EPOC and CAL called on the Tsakane Police Station, where the case has been reported, to carry out a quick and thorough investigation into the murder of Nogwaza and deal with the perpetrators accordingly.
Nogwaza will be laid to rest at a cemetery in Kwa-Thema on Saturday, April 30.
South Africa has been plagued by a spate of murders and rapes of lesbian women. Activists have warned that hate crimes and the “corrective rapes” of lesbians in South Africa are reaching crisis proportions.
According to Luleki Sizwe, an organisation lobbying to have hate crimes recognised under South African law, around 500 women a year report being the victims of corrective rape while over 30 lesbian women have been murdered because of their sexuality since 1998.
Of these cases, only a handful have ever made it to the courts. Trials have been characterised by incompetence and protracted delays.
Shocking!. This is appalling! This reflects the awful brutalized society we have to repair in this country. So much needs to be done. What am I, what are you, doing to change things…?
Change things??. Just what, exactly, can anyone do “to change things” that is likely to have any worthwhile effect, pray tell.
Things to do. Support LGBT groups, donate money, take part in protests, sign petitions, start a facebook page, write to newspapers, make documentaries, start a support group, throw a fundraising dinner with your friends, volunteer to help – there’s a lot people can do. Get off your arse…
things to do already D. My point is that all these things – wonderful though they are – have all been done before and are currently being done, and STILL these horrors get perpetrated.
Educating people that violence against others is wrong (except when you are defending your own life) is what is needed, but when the government encourages the singing of songs by prominent politicians and leaders extolling machine guns and the killing of others of whom you do not approve, what chance is there??
About scale. Ziggy, it is a very, very small amount of people doing these things – that is why they have little impact. Our community expects this to be done for them by LGBT groups that they then bitch and moan about – but do nothing themselves. The reality is that the vast, vast, vast majority of gay and lesbian people do nothing. It is about scale and mass to make these kinds of efforts work. Don’t look to others to do this… do it yourself or join those that are doing it.
The Scale of Things. That’s true.
Read newspapers!. Buy the MAIL & GUARDIAN ON FRIDAY….We have reported what activists Luleki Sizwe and the gay flag of South Africa have achieved in parliament
Sick. There is so growing hate against LGBT people throught Africa and our government says nothing about it. What a sick nation we have become
Horror. I have sat here for a long time. Along time because I feel I must say something and I could not find words. They are ignorant cowards and I can curse them with only one thing: A true understanding of the gravity of what they have done. All the pain and hatred they have done and spread and may they suffer the rest of their pathetic lives with the weight of that knowledge.
do something. Be at the funeral if you can. Write to newspapers and call into radio,TV talk shows. We have to make ourselves heard,not only where violence is concerned,but everywhere we are discriminated against. Don’t let people get away with derogatory remarks.. You get the idea. Our freedom’s hard won,but not guaranteed for ever. All they need is to amend the constitution,and I think there is a vey real danger of that happening.
do something. Be at the funeral if you can. Write to newspapers and call into radio,TV talk shows. We have to make ourselves heard,not only where violence is concerned,but everywhere we are discriminated against. Don’t let people get away with derogatory remarks.. You get the idea. Our freedom’s hard won,but not guaranteed for ever. All they need is to amend the constitution,and I think there is a vey real danger of that happening.
DO THIS. Call, fax or email Tsakane Police Station and demand for a speedy and thorough investigation into the rape and murder of Noxolo Nogwaza. The reference number of the case is 635/04/2011.
Tel: +27 11 363 5347/8/9
Fax: +27 11 363 3454
Email:Tsakane-saps@saps.org.za
This is so bad.
One thing I must say…This pride board should be ashamed of what they are doing.
They should make every one know what is happing around south Africa.
Not do some after party take the money they made and open a safe house for the lesbians around South Africa.
Let the money be used for something good and we can all help the cause.
In the red. Please! What money – CT Pride ows everyone money! They are in the red is the word on the street….
pride. Jhb Pride had over R80000.00 at the start of PGay pride 20210
what happened to that?
Pride jhb will end up like Cape town pride if the keep working like they do
Assholes. Who the fuck cares about PRIDE? You guys are totally missing the point of this article you assholes!
pride. I have long maintained that GAY pride, not 702 “pride” must revert back to it’s activist roots and actually achieve something.
We all need to march with black armbands and make an issue of the rights we are fast loosing.
We have had far too many government ministers expressing their true thoughts about this issue . So we cannot say we didnt know what was happening .
Money made from after parties should be used constructively to support . We need much more interaction with other african gay groups as this is also their reality.
If we sit back in silence , this will become our reality.
Remeber ACTUP : Silence=death…
HISTORY IN PARLIAMENT TODAY. I saw on FB that tody Luleki Sizwe adn the guys from the SA gay flag made HISTORY by getting the government to put together a task group to look after LGBTI issues and harsher sentencing with regards to not only corrective rape, but also any discrimination against LBGTI persons. Starting equality courts, working oward changing legistaltion and the constitution – Thank God there are people in our community who know HOW to get government arount the negotiation table. EXCELLENT. We now are the ONLY COUNTRY ON EARTH doing this – Well done SA gay flag boys and Luleki Sizwe
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Hi there mates, its wonderful post on the topic of cultureand fully explained, keep it up all the time.
lesbians are not animals they dnt have be killed ones to if you dnt like them stay ayay from themONLY GOD CAN JUGDE
It’s going to be finish of mine day, but before finish I am reading this fantastic piece of writing to improve my knowledge.
It is so sad there is still so much ignorance out there… Even by people who are supposed to be educated. I study Criminology and we did Eudy Simelane’s Case Study, and some of the men in the class were laughing and saying derogatory words:(. It was so disgusting, and nothing was even done about it!! They should have been kicked out, not just of the class but of the course itself!! Or at least they should have been reprimanded. But nothing… And you’re scared to say something back incase they do something to you…