The National Task Team (NTT) on Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, Expression, and Sex Characteristics (SOGIESC) has condemned former radio host Ngizwe Mchunu’s continued hate speech against the LGBTIQ+ community and reaffirmed queer people’s right to participate fully in cultural practices.
In a statement, the NTT said it had discussed Mchunu’s conduct during its quarterly meeting on 6 October, stressing that South Africa’s Constitution guarantees equality and cultural freedom for everyone.
“South Africa is a constitutional democracy, and all persons, including the SOGIESC community, have equal rights to exercise their cultural practices,” the NTT affirmed.
It further stated that: “The right to one’s culture cannot infringe on the rights of persons of diverse SOGIESC to their human dignity. Moreover, no one person or group holds the monopoly of who qualifies to enjoy cultural practices. Violence, or threats of violence — of any form, including verbal assault — is intolerable in an open and democratic society and is to be condemned in the strongest terms.”
Ngizwe Mchunu Remains Defiant
The controversy began when Mchunu posted a series of online videos condemning the traditional wedding of Simon Seun Nhlapo and Crosby Jodwana, a same-sex couple who wore traditional attire at their ceremony. Mchunu declared that he “hates” gay people and claimed that traditional clothing is “meant for straight men.”
He later travelled to Johannesburg, gathering a group of men to descend on KwaMai-Mai, a popular shisa nyama (grilled meat venue), where he sought to confront queer patrons. Thanks to swift action from the venue’s management and the police, the group was prevented from entering and no violence occurred.
Despite being ordered by the South African Human Rights Commission to retract his statements and apologise or face legal action in the Equality Court, Ngizwe Mchunu has remained defiant, telling the Commission to “fuck off” and insisting, “I stand by what I said because it was meant to preserve our culture.”
NTT Commends Kwa Mai-Mai and SAPS
The NTT commended the management of Kwa Mai-Mai Traditional Market for “upholding the values of the Constitution and showing their commitment to human rights, dignity, and equality.” It also praised the South African Police Service (SAPS) for its swift and effective response to prevent potential violence.
The NTT said it would reach out to the Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities and the National House of Traditional Leaders to further engage on reconciling cultural practices with constitutional protections.
Established in 2011, the NTT is a multi-sectoral partnership between government and civil society aimed at addressing violence, discrimination, and human rights violations based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Its mandate has since expanded to promote equality and implement the National Intervention Strategy (NIS) through Provincial Task Teams across the country.
Government departments, Chapter 9 institutions, and civil society organisations also monitor hate crime cases through the NTT’s Rapid Response Team.
Sibonelo Ncanana-Trower, Human Rights Coordinator at OUT LGBT Well-being and founding director of Izibuko Zethu, was recently elected as the civil society co-chair of the national LGBTIQ+ Task Team, serving alongside government co-chair Deputy Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development Andries Nel.
Call to Implement Hate Crimes and Hate Speech Law
In its statement, the NTT also reiterated its commitment to “accelerate legislative implementation, particularly the Prevention and Combating of Hate Crimes and Hate Speech Act,” which was signed into law in May 2024 but has yet to be implemented by the government.
