The Wits LGBTQ+ campus society has called for a boycott of Grindr after another student from the university survived a terrifying encounter with Grindr Gang criminals in Johannesburg.
Wits Activate revealed that the traumatised student was lured by a man on Grindr who used the names Nkosinathi or Lihle. After arranging to meet near Home Affairs in the Johannesburg city centre, the student was taken to a remote field in Jeppestown where he was strangled, tied up, and robbed.
“It is important to note that during this ordeal, the attacker kept asking for background information. The student believes this was an attempt to identify other people the attacker could target for ransom in exchange for his release,” said the organisation.
The attacker is described as being of average height, dark-skinned and coming across as very calm.
The Ongoing Grindr Gang 7 Trial
The incident comes as the Grindr Gang 7 trial is set to resume in November. In that case, seven men are accused of luring a then-18-year-old Wits University student into a fake date via the dating app in September 2023, before severely assaulting him and demanding ransom from his family. The men face charges of kidnapping, attempted murder, and extortion.
The case has suffered repeated delays, with the trial only starting last month. Testimony included evidence from the survivor’s friend, who described receiving ransom demands and disturbing images.
“This is not an isolated incident. It is part of a persistent pattern of violence, including the long-running Grindr 7 case, that targets our community on dating platforms,” said Wits Activate Chairperson, Nkosinathi Mtumbula.
National Syndicate Still Active
Despite the arrests of the Grindr Gang 7 in Johannesburg and three other men in Cape Town on similar charges, criminals thought to be part of a national syndicate continue to prey on queer men on dating apps and other platforms.
Wits Activate accused Grindr of having “repeatedly failed to implement critical safety features to prevent such predatory behaviour” and called “for a total boycott” of the dating app by students and the LGBTQ+ community.
“We demand that the app install mandatory identity verification, an in-app emergency button, and proactive threat alerts. Delete Grindr until our safety is guaranteed,” said Mtumbula.
In a recent joint statement, several LGBTQ+ groups demanded a coordinated SAPS investigation across provinces into syndicates targeting queer people through dating apps, the implementation of the Hate Crimes Act, and public awareness campaigns to alert queer communities about these targeted crimes.
