South Africa LGBTIQ+ Rights Watch: March 2026
An overview of LGBTIQ+ rights violations, hate speech incidents and updates in South Africa in March 2026, compiled by MambaOnline.
“They Shot Her”: Grief After Murder of Queer Woman in Bekkersdal in Suspected Hate Crime
Community mourns after a queer woman is shot dead in Bekkersdal, Gauteng. Family and activists call for answers amid fears of a hate crime.
Opinion: LGBTQ+ Erasure Is a Form of Violence — Faith Leaders in Africa Must Not Be Silent
Faith leaders must confront LGBTQ erasure in West Africa, argues Davis Mac Iyalla, warning that silence and denial fuel discrimination and violence.
From Prison to Policy: Trans Woman Helps Lead Global Justice Reform Breakthrough
Dandara Zainabo, a trans woman, is helping launch a global agency of formerly incarcerated experts in Cape Town, aiming to reshape justice reform worldwide.
Uganda: Women Arrested for Kissing Granted Bail But Still Face Life in Prison
Two women in Uganda arrested for kissing in public have been granted bail but still face life imprisonment under the country’s harsh Anti-Homosexuality Act.
Eswatini’s King Mswati III Says LGBTQ People Will ‘Never’ Be Welcome in Easter Message
Activists condemn harmful anti-LGBTQ remarks by Eswatini’s King Mswati III made during a Good Friday Easter message.
Transgender Woman Alleges Gender-Affirming Healthcare Mistreatment at Free State Hospital
Transgender woman Buhlebendalo Mthombeni alleges mistreatment at a Free State hospital, highlighting barriers to gender-affirming care.
Uganda’s Supreme Court Delays Key Appeal Against Anti-Homosexuality Act
Uganda’s Supreme Court has postponed a key appeal challenging the Anti-Homosexuality Act, one of the world’s harshest anti-LGBTQ+ laws.
Opinion: Is Ghana’s Selective Justice on LGBTQ+ Equality a Human Rights Contradiction?
Ghana won praise for a UN slavery resolution but Badley Fortuin writes that its harsh anti-LGBTQ+ bill raises questions about selective injustice and human rights.
South Africa’s LGBTIQ+ Safety Crisis Deepens as NTT Tracks Dozens of Violent Cases
South Africa’s NTT warns of rising hate crimes, “Grindr syndicates,” and funding cuts that are impacting LGBTIQ+ rights and safety.