The Commission for Gender Commission (CGE) strongly condemns the brutal killing and rape of Noxolo Nogwaza. In line with the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgendered and intersexed people (LGBTI) have the same rights just like everyone else.
The continual depicting of irrational homophobic behaviour by some citizens violates the very same core of our constitution that we so much claim to uphold, that of respecting the rights and dignity of others irrespective of their sexual orientation. It is very evident that the manner in which some claim to redress that they view as correctness in the behaviour of LGBTI people constitutes hate crime and that is punishable by the law. United Nations (UN) in article two strongly condemns such horrendous deeds as it not only inhumane by discriminatory in its very nature.
The continued exploitation of LGBTI in the name of culture distorts whatever our forbearers stood for as well as future society we hope to build. Whatever might have been the myth around LGBTI people issues does not mean that we must uncritically continue with these even though we know that is being distorted with the view of having an excuse to perpetrate the atrocities of corrective rape. The Commission has been for years with other Chapter 9 (C9s) institutions and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) advanced the course of LGBTI people without fail. It is our firm belief that the Department of Constitutional Development and Justice have to come to party in ensuring that the plights of LGBTI people do no go unabated.
We are also concerned about the alarming rate of people that are being raped in the name of correctedness, particular women and girls, although the phenomenon might not be limited to boys and men. The CGE calls for all interested parties to rally around LGBTI people and help society to understand the different people that are there in society whom despite their sexual orientation still have to be respected. It is our wish to have legislation on rape to be amended to include hate crime that is discriminatory.
Enquiries:
Javu Baloyi
Cell: 083 579 3306
