MambaOnline publishes a monthly overview of reported LGBTIQ+ rights violations in South Africa, including hate speech, hate crimes and other forms of discrimination.
We also track the progress of cases through the criminal justice system and highlight key human rights developments. While we aim to be as comprehensive as possible, it is important to remember that many incidents go unreported or are not identified as hate crimes.
Below is our summary for January 2026.
Justice Delayed in Kwakhanya Mhlanganisi Murder Case
In January, the murder case of 16-year-old queer teen Kwakhanya Mhlanganisi continued to highlight both the brutality of anti-LGBTIQ+ hate crimes and ongoing systemic failures within the justice system. His alleged 18-year-old killer faced repeated bail hearing postponements at the Khayelitsha Magistrates’ Court due to investigative delays, a change in investigating officer and confusion over the location of the case docket, fuelling frustration among family members and activists. Police also arrested a second suspect, and both accused declined bail, remaining in custody. The court postponed the matter for a fourth time to allow for further investigation, with proceedings set to resume in May 2026 — six months after the suspected hate crime in which Mhlanganisi was beaten and set alight.
South Africa’s Draft Hate Crimes Act Regulations Were Released
The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development published long-awaited draft regulations to operationalise South Africa’s Prevention and Combating of Hate Crimes and Hate Speech Act, passed in 2023 and signed into law in 2024, marking a significant — though delayed — step towards implementation. The regulations outlined how police should record and classify hate crimes and hate speech, including bias based on sexual orientation, gender identity and other protected characteristics, and placed responsibility on SAPS to properly document such cases using prescribed forms. While activists welcomed the progress, they criticised the more than two-year delay, noting that LGBTQ+ South Africans have continued to face violent attacks, online hate speech and organised harassment.
UCT Students Call For End to Deadnaming on Student IDs
Transgender students at the University of Cape Town intensified calls for the institution to end the practice of deadnaming on student identification cards and records, arguing that the current system exposed them to discrimination, harassment and involuntary outing. The controversy centred on UCT’s student number system, which incorporates elements of a student’s birth name and cannot be changed even after a legal name change. This despite a 2023 Ombuds Report recommending that the university design a mechanism to amend student numbers without compromising academic records. Although students launched a petition that garnered more than 700 signatures, including support from civil society and prominent academics, university management had not implemented the recommendations or formally responded by the start of the 2026 academic year.
Transphobic Response to Big Brother Mzansi’s Ilano Sky
The participation of transgender contestant Ilano Sky on Big Brother Mzansi sparked both affirmation and backlash, highlighting ongoing challenges around hate speech and discrimination against transgender people in South Africa. While many viewers welcomed her visibility, a vocal minority on social media subjected her to misgendering, transphobic commentary and unfounded claims about shared bathroom spaces — reflecting persistent stigma and misinformation. The incident underscored how online hate speech continues to target transgender individuals, often without clear consequences, and how societal misunderstanding contributes to exclusion and psychological harm.
Child Abuse Complaint Filed Against Midrand Pastor Over Conversion Therapy Video
A child abuse and neglect complaint was filed with the South African Police Service against Midrand pastor David Uche after a widely circulated video showed a minor being publicly humiliated and subjected to what appeared to be “conversion therapy” during a church service. The footage included queerphobic remarks, mockery of the child’s gender expression, and invasive, spiritually framed attempts to “correct” the child, raising concerns of emotional and psychological abuse. Civil society groups condemned the incident as a form of psychological violence. The complainant reported delays and a lack of communication from police, raising concerns about accountability and the state’s response to anti-LGBTIQ+ abuse involving a child.
Johannesburg Gay Couple Verbally Attacked by Homophobes
On 18 January, a gay couple in Olivedale, Johannesburg, were subjected to a verbal homophobic hate speech attack while walking to a local shop. Two men in a parked vehicle shouted slurs at them and escalated the confrontation by exiting the car and continuing the abuse. The couple reported feeling shocked, humiliated and fearful for their safety. A neighbour intervened, prompting the men to leave the scene. Due to unclear footage and the inability to identify the suspects or their vehicle, it is unlikely that the perpetrators will be traced, and no arrests had been reported at the time of publication.
Cape Town Trans Woman Vows to Fight on After Equality Court Loss
Cape Town transgender activist Jackye Majawie lost an Equality Court case after a magistrate ruled that a transphobic confrontation she experienced at the Golden Acre Shopping Centre did not meet the legal threshold for discrimination or hate speech under the Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act (PEPUDA). This despite evidence that she was verbally and physically harassed while being told she was “not a woman” and publicly humiliated while queuing for a women’s bathroom. The incident, which occurred in March 2023, led Majawie to launch legal action against a cleaning company and its employee. Majawie reported that the lengthy legal battle caused significant emotional and financial strain, and she subsequently announced plans to appeal the ruling in the High Court and potentially the Constitutional Court.
BackaBuddy Pulls Plug on Renaldo Gouws’ Mock LGBTQ+ Gaza Fundraiser
Crowdfunding platform BackaBuddy shut down a campaign launched by former MP Renaldo Gouws after MambaOnline reported it as a political and discriminatory stunt targeting LGBTQ+ solidarity with Palestinians. Gouws created the fundraiser to supposedly send an LGBTQ+ activist to Gaza to livestream waving LGBTQ+ and Palestinian flags, a campaign described as a “gotcha” exercise that mocked queer activism. Nineteen donors had contributed to the campaign before BackaBuddy suspended and later permanently closed the fundraiser after reviewing its compliance with platform rules.
Have you experienced or witnessed an LGBTIQ+ rights violation such as a hate crime, hate speech or any other kind of LGBTIQ+ discrimination in South Africa? If you’d like to bring it to the attention of the LGBTIQ+ community, email info@mambaonline.com. We will refer survivors to community groups that can provide support.
