In partnership with OUT LGBT Well-being, 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, many incidents go unreported or are not identified as hate crimes.
Below is our summary for August 2026.
Hate Speech Pastor Oscar Bougardt Calls for ‘LGBQI+ Free’ Cape Town
Cape Town pastor Oscar Bougardt again targeted the LGBTIQ+ community in a Facebook post in which he called for an “LGBQI+ free Cape Town” and urged residents to support a purported “Straight Party” and elect him mayor. Bougardt said that, if elected, he would withdraw funding for WorldPride 2028, shortly after Cape Town formally received hosting duties for the international event. Sibonelo Ncanana-Trower, Civil Society Co-chair of the National Task Team on Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, Expression and Sex Characteristics, condemned Bougardt’s comments, arguing that LGBTIQ+ people continue to face discrimination, violence and fear and that “Pride is not the problem. Hate and violence are.” The latest statements followed Bougardt’s long history of anti-LGBTIQ+ rhetoric despite previous court action against him. Pierre LeRoux-DuPisani, one of the original complainants in the long-running hate speech case against Bougardt, called on the South African Human Rights Commission to seek imprisonment for the controversial pastor.
Paarl Rocked by Murder of 17-Year-Old LGBTQ+ Learner Justine Davids
The LGBTQ+ community in the Western Cape mourned the murder of 17-year-old transgender learner Justine Davids, also known as Justine Jameelia Evangelista. She was stabbed to death in an open field in Lantana, Paarl, in the early hours of 9 August. Justine had reportedly been walking with a friend, who escaped the attack. Police arrested three suspects, aged 17, 18 and 20, who appeared in the Paarl Magistrates’ Court on 11 August, as community members gathered outside to demand justice and oppose bail; an online petition similarly called for the accused to remain in custody. Justine’s murder prompted widespread concern that the attack may have been motivated by queerphobia, although this had not been confirmed by police.
Gay Man Attacked with Broken Bottle in Pretoria West
A gay man was left with serious facial injuries and emotional trauma after an allegedly homophobic attack at a tavern in Elandspoort, Pretoria West, on 20 March. Koketso, who reported the incident to MambaOnline in August, said a man repeatedly made homophobic comments towards him and attempted to touch his genitals before later striking him in the face with a bottle and stabbing him with the broken glass, leaving him covered in blood and unable to see. A passing stranger eventually helped Koketso arrange transport to hospital, where he lost consciousness and only awoke the following day. Koketso opened a criminal case, and the alleged attacker was arrested on 26 March but released after one day in custody; the matter was scheduled to return to court on 12 October.
Grindr-Related Extortion Incident in Johannesburg
OUT LGBT Well-being was contacted by a survivor of a dating app-related incident that took place at around 9 pm on 19 August in Sunninghill, Johannesburg. According to the complainant, he arranged to meet another man at his home through Grindr. After the two men engaged in intimacy, the complainant alleged that his date demanded payment for sex and became aggressive when he pointed out that money had not been discussed beforehand. The complainant ultimately paid the man to persuade him to leave. The following day, he discovered that his digital watch, which contained several stored contact numbers, had been stolen. He was subsequently contacted by a friend who reported receiving a call from someone impersonating a police officer and threatening to release false and damaging information about the complainant unless money was paid. OUT is assisting the survivor with the matter.
Landlord Found Guilty of Assaulting Lesbian Woman
On 12 August, the Germiston Magistrates’ Court in Gauteng found a man guilty of assaulting a 23-year-old lesbian woman in connection with an incident that took place in March 2026. According to case documentation, the man, who was the woman’s landlord, became involved in a disagreement with her when she attempted to repair a malfunctioning gate. The argument escalated after the landlord made comments about her gender expression. He then pushed the woman in the chest, causing her to fall against steel shelves and sustain injuries. The case documentation further recorded that the accused assaulted two other people who intervened to assist the complainant. The court sentenced him to six months’ imprisonment or a fine of R3,000, with the sentence suspended for five years.
Petition Calls on South Africa to Reject Anti-Rights “Family Values” Conference
MambaOnline launched a petition calling on South Africa to reject the planned 3rd Pan-African Conference on Family Values (PACFV), scheduled to take place in Cape Town in May 2027. The event forms part of a broader anti-rights movement targeting LGBTQ+ rights, women’s and reproductive rights, comprehensive sexuality education and diverse families across Africa. The petition attracted more than 2,000 signatures within 48 hours and sought to stimulate a wider national conversation about defending South Africa’s constitutional commitments to equality, dignity and freedom from discrimination. MambaOnline also argued for a sustained, broad-based response to misinformation, exclusion and efforts to frame LGBTQ+ equality as incompatible with African or “family values”.
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 or request support, email MambaOnline on info@mambaonline.com or OUT LGBT Well-being on sncanana@out.org.za.
