HETEROSEXIST VIOLENCE IN

South Africa is one of very few locations in the Triangle Project world where is protected under Phone: (021) 448 3812 constitutional law, where homosexuality has been Fax: (021) 448 4089 decriminalised and where same-sex marriages are E-mail: [email protected] officially recognised. Despite this, heterosexist Postal address: PO Box 13935, Mowbray, 7705 discrimination and violence (verbal abuse, physical Physical address: Unit 29, Waverley Business Park, assault, and ) remain daily realities for Dane St, Mowbray , men and people in South Africa. Gay & Helpline: (021) 712 6699.

Many hate crimes are committed against black THE WESTERN CAPE END HATE CAMPAIGN lesbians living in townships, because they do not To find out more about the campaign, you can comply with the dominant heterosexual norm of contact the following people. what a woman should or how a woman should CONTACT PERSONS behave. Provincial Alliance Convener: Marlow Valentine Gay men, especially gay men with a feminine Tel. 021 4483812 E-mail: [email protected] identity, are also being subjected to violent attacks and rape. Triangle Project - Community Worker: Mabhuti Mkhangeli Tel. 021 448 3812 Email: [email protected] Violence is being used as a means to maintain patriarchal power and reinforce a Commission for Gender Equality: Keegan Lakay heteronormative social order. Tel. 021 4264080 E-mail: [email protected]

Triangle Project - Media & Communications Coordinator: Musa In a climate of widespread violence and crime, Ngubane hate crimes based on sexual orientation and Tel. 021 448 3812 Email: [email protected] gender identity remain hidden within broad statistics. Also, the majority of these crimes are Triangle Project - Researcher: Jill Henderson go unreported as many LGBT people fear further Tel. 021 448 3812 E-mail: [email protected] humiliation and victimisation from the police. It is often the most extreme cases of violence, such as Triangle Project is the secretariat for the WC End Hate Campaign. murder, that receive attention from the media and The campaign includes partners such as the Commission for others, while everyday experiences of hate Gender Equality; AIDS Legal Network; Gender DynamiX; Good victimisation, such as taunting, bullying, Hope MCC; Free Gender; Treatment Action Campaign; The Inner Circle; Inclusive & Affirming Ministries; Engender and Intersex SA; harassment, assault and even rape are never Free Gender; Women in Action Khayelitsha.

22 July 2007: Murder of Thokozane Qwabe Other Heterosexist Hate Crimes in the Western Cape Two weeks after the murder of Sizakele and Salome, Thokozane Qwabe, a 23-year-old lesbian was found dead in a field near E Section Luanda is a 20-year-old gay man with a strong feminine 6 October 2007: Murder of Waldo Bester Waldo Bester, also known as Plons by his family, was a 35-year-old gay man. Community Hall in Ezakheni, Ladysmith (KwaZulu-Natal). She was identity. On the 26th April 2008, Luanda, who was 19 Waldo was stabbed and murdered in Vredenburg . He was last seen leaving naked and had a number of head wounds. years old at the time, was beaten and raped by three with two men who had called him “ Waldo moffie”. His naked body full of men. The attack took place at what Luanda described as stab wounds was found the next morning. Waldo’s murder is being 28 April 2008: Murder of Eudy Simelane Eudy Simelane was a 31-year-old lesbian activist and former Banyana- a ‘dump’ in Mfuleni. They beat Luanda until he lost investigated by Vredenburg SAPS. To date no arrests have been made. The prosecutor has referred the case to court for an inquest into the Banyana soccer player. Eudy Simelane was robbed and murdered in consciousness. He was found the next morning by people circumstances of Waldo’s death. her home township, Kwa-Thema (Gauteng). Her attackers also walking past. attempted to rape her. On the 12 Feb 2009, Thato Mphiti pleaded 4 February 2006: Murder of Zoliswa Nkonyana and the Attempted Murder guilty to murder, robbery and abetting in the commission of Luanda awoke in hospital after five days. By this time his of P attempted rape. He was sentenced to 32 years less the time already his family thought he had been killed and had already Zoliswa (18) and her friend, P (17), were taunted by a girl who called them spent in jail. The trial of the other three co-accused, who pleaded not “tomboys who want to get raped ”. According to P, Zoliswa replied “ We are guilty to all charges, will begin on the on 29 July 2009. started searching mortuaries. not tomboys. We are lesbians”. The girl summoned a gang of men who th The attack was reported to the Police and three suspects attacked Zoliswa and P. P managed to run away, but witnessed Zoliswa’s 26 May 2008: Murder and Rape of Khanyiswa (Lhoyie) Hani Khanyiswa Hani was a 25-year old lesbian. On the morning of the 26th have been arrested. The matter is now being adjudicated murder. Of the gang of more than ten attackers, nine men were arrested on the 21 February 2006 and charged with the murder and attempted murder. May 2008, her body was discovered in New Brighton, Port Elizabeth in the Blue Downs Magistrate’s Court. Three men have Now more than three years after Zoliswa’s murder and the arrest of the (Eastern Cape). Her jeans were around her knees, her teeth had been th already appeared in court on the 11 March 2009 on a accused, the trial has barely progressed. The trial has been subject to knocked out, there were stab wounds on her body and her throat was charge of Rape. The next court date is scheduled for the continuous postponements, due unprofessional conduct by the defence slit. The matter remains unresolved.

29th May 2009. attorneys . Trial resumes on the 29th and 30 June 2009. 2 June 2008: Murder of Daisy Dube Daisy, a transgendered person in her 20s was gunned down and 20 June 2008: Murder and Rape of Sibongile Mphelo OUR DEMANDS IN THIS CASE: Sibongile Mphelo was a 21-year-old lesbian. Sibongile was raped and murdered by men in a car in Yeoville, Johannesburg (Gauteng). A murdered in Strand, Cape Town. She was found the next morning in an open friend of the assailant is alleged to have shouted, “shoot lezitabane”. veld. She had been raped, shot, her vagina was cut off and a piece of her calf The case is still being investigated. We demand that CJS staff uphold Luanda’s rights as set out in had been removed. Condoms were lying next to her body. The case has the Victims Charter and the Minimum Standards on Services been reported and is being investigated by the Strand SAPS. To date no for Victims of Crime. suspects have been charged. In an interview, Sibongile’s partner stated: . “Wherever we go some men would tell us we want penis to be straight. What We want the court’s commitment that Luanda will not be we’re doing is Satanism and woman was never meant to sleep with another woman”. The Western Cape End Hate Campaign was subjected to discrimination and secondary victimisation on formed to confront and address violence (physical account of his sexual orientation or gender presentation 20 June 2008: Retaliatory Attack related to Zoliswa’s Case violence, sexual violence, verbal abuse/hate speech) during the trial. T, a friend of Zoliswa’s and an open lesbian who attended the court protest at the pre-trial hearings was approached by two men in Nyanga. They against lesbian women, gay men, transgendered and We want the prosecutor and magistrate to give full confronted her about her presence at the court protest, stating that their gender non-conforming people. consideration to the role of homophobia in the perpetration of friends were suffering in prison. One of the men stabbed her and they both The campaign is opposed to all forms of violence, this crime. ran away. including violence perpetrated against persons on the We demand that the court consider all evidence before it and basis of their race, ethnicity, gender, nationality, HIV render sentences that reflect the court’s condemnation of all Heterosexist Hate Crimes in the rest of South Africa status or religion. hate crimes based on sexual orientation and gender identity. 7 July 2007: Murder and Rape of Sizakele Sigasa and Salome Masooa The Western Cape Alliance is a partnership of Sizakele Sigasa was a 34-year-old lesbian and gay rights activist who worked We want the prosecutor and magistrate to oppose all efforts as an outreach coordinator for Positive Women’s Network. Salome Masooa organisations from the LGBTI, Gender-based violence, to blame the victim as is so common in rape trials. was a 23-year-old lesbian. Both Sizakele and Salome were tortured, raped, HIV/AIDS and Human Rights sectors. shot and murdered in Meadowlands, Soweto (Gauteng Province). As yet, there have been no advances in the case. We want the court to oppose unnecessary postponements

and ensure swift progress in the trial.