“Our Identity Will Not Be Trumped”: Mamelodi’s No Fear Pride March

Under the clear skies of Mamelodi on June 28, rainbow flags and fierce, fearless spirits poured into the streets for the No Fear Pride March 2025, an unapologetic celebration of LGBTQIA+ lives, rights, and visibility.

Now in its fifth year, the annual event has become a cornerstone of queer resistance and joy in Tshwane’s northeast township.

Organised by Walk With Heart, a local nonprofit founded by Andrew Lethole, Kgothatso Sethole, and Sifiso Sithole, the march stands as a powerful counter-narrative to silence and stigma.

“It’s never just about gathering or partying. This is about dignity. About lives. About resistance,” said co-founder Andrew Lethole. “Yes, we celebrate, but we also demand to be seen, to be protected, and to be free.”

Born From Crisis, Built With Heart

The No Fear Pride March began in 2020, in the thick of South Africa’s COVID-19 lockdown. At a time when violence against LGBTQIA+ individuals was escalating and safe spaces were shrinking, three activists dared to create a platform for healing, protest, and solidarity.

Over the years, it has grown into a proudly community-rooted event, largely self-funded, and powered by the people it seeks to uplift.

“We’ve built a community that knows who we are and respects what we stand for,” said Lethole. “Even though this year we had to return to self-funding, we continue. Because our visibility is non-negotiable.”

This Year’s Rallying Cry: “Our Identity Will Not Be Trumped”

The theme for 2025, “Our Identity Will Not Be Trumped”, speaks directly to the geopolitical and local implications of the rollback in international funding, most notably, cuts to USAID and PEPFAR support following US policy shifts. These losses have crippled access to HIV services, psychosocial support, and affirming health care for many LGBTQIA+ South Africans.

“We used to have access to PrEP, HIV testing, and counselling through organisations that really understood our community,” Lethole explained. “Now people are forced back into mainstream health systems where discrimination still happens. It’s not sustainable, and it’s not safe.”

The urgency of this year’s theme was further explored during a post-march panel discussion at the Solomon Mahlangu Freedom Square Amphitheatre, moderated by Kgothatso Kaecy Sethole. The session invited robust dialogue around how the queer community can respond to the shifting landscape of LGBTQIA+ rights and resources in South Africa.

Honouring Queer Excellence

In a moment of joyful gratitude, the march also included an awards ceremony to honour local champions of the community. Among those celebrated was Amstel Mabao, recognised for their fearless advocacy and visibility.

Other honourees included long-standing activists and changemakers such as Jay Matlou, Jackie, and Yo Gaga, individuals who’ve paved the way through decades of work in human rights, community organising, and safe space creation.

“They’ve been the shoulders we all stand on,” Lethole noted. “Their work has kept us alive, emotionally, physically, spiritually.”

The organisers also issued Safe Space Awards to local Mamelodi venues that have consistently offered refuge, celebration, and affirmation to LGBTQIA+ patrons.

“When you walk into these spaces, you don’t feel like a problem, you feel like a person,” Lethole said. “That matters.”

A Call to Fund Justice and Joy

Even in the face of reduced institutional support, the organisers remain hopeful and determined.

“We love doing this work, but we can’t do it alone,” Lethole told MambaOnline. “If there are funders, partners, or anyone who believes in human rights, we welcome you. Come build with us.”

The No Fear Pride March is a living testament to what happens when marginalised people dare to take up space.