Southern Africa: Surge in Violence Against LGBTIQ+ Community

At least three members of the LGBTIQ+ community in Southern Africa have recently been targeted in suspected hate crimes – two of which resulted in the loss of life.

Cape Town: Community Mourns Linten Jutzen

MambaOnline earlier reported on the death of Cape Town’s Linten Jutzen, a 44-year-old queer individual well-known in pageant scene.

Jutzen’s body, reportedly with no visible injuries, was discovered on 21 April. It had been stuffed into a refuse wheelie bin and dumped in an open area between a school and a tennis court in Bonteheuwel.

While the motive has yet to be confirmed, the degrading manner in which his body was placed has raised suspicions that this may have been a hate crime.

On 28 April, the Bonteheuwel community held a solidarity march to Jutzen’s family home to offer condolences and show support for the LGBTIQ+ community.

Bonteheuwel Ward Councillor Angus McKenzie told MambaOnline on Friday that possible arrests would depend on the outcome of the autopsy, which is expected to determine the cause of death.

Lesotho: Gruesome Murder of Kabelo Seseli

In Teyateyaneng, Lesotho, local LGBTIQ+ organisation The People’s Matrix Association reported the brutal murder of Kabelo Seseli, a gay man whose body was found in his home by a neighbour on Sunday, 27 April. He was last seen alive the previous day.

According to the organisation, Seseli was discovered with stab wounds to his neck and mutilating injuries to his genital area.

“This was not just a murder — it was a hate-driven, dehumanising act meant to send a message of fear and rejection to our community,” said the organisation in a statement.

“Kabelo deserved to live. Kabelo deserved dignity, safety, and the freedom to exist without fear — just like every Mosotho,” it added.

Seseli’s Facebook profile portrayed a fun-loving, outspoken, and proudly queer individual.

Tampose Mothopeng, Director of The People’s Matrix Association, confirmed to MambaOnline that a 25-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the killing and appeared in the Berea Magistrate’s Court on Friday.

Mothopeng, who attended the hearing, believes that the alleged perpetrator was likely known to the victim. The case is set to return to court on 14 May.

Eastern Cape: Qhawe Ndabeni Survives Vicious Assault

In Port St Johns, Eastern Cape, South Africa, Qhawe Ndabeni, a young and openly gay man, survived a brutal attack believed to be motivated by homophobia.

According to the organisation iZibuko Zethu, Ndabeni was beaten, kidnapped, and thrown from a moving vehicle by a group of individuals in what it described as “a hate crime.”

Images shared online reveal the extent of his injuries, including painful abrasions likely caused by contact with the road surface.

Sibonelo Ncanana Trower from iZibuko Zethu said the attack was “a reminder of the deep-seated homophobia that continues to endanger queer lives.”

Witnesses reported that the violence followed an altercation in which Ndabeni was insulted for his identity. When he stood up for himself, the attackers turned violent.

“We are enraged by the cruelty inflicted upon Qhawe and the trauma he now has to carry. This attack is not an isolated incident but part of a broader and persistent pattern of hate that queer people, especially in rural communities, face daily,” said Trower.

He called on the South African Police Service to conduct a thorough investigation and for the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development to ensure that hate crimes are prosecuted with the seriousness they warrant.