The Commission for Gender Equality (CGE) welcomes the decision of the High court sitting in Potchestroom wherein the presiding officer Judge Kruger, sentenced Stoffel Pule Motlhokwane for the murder of Disebo Gift Makau who was a member of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Transgendered and Intersexed (LGBTI) community in Ventersdorp.
The Commission believes that the life sentence for rape, life sentence for murder, and 15 years for robbery will send a strong message to society that LGBTI people are human beings too and cannot be killed or raped at will due to their sexual orientation.
The Commission is particularly pleased that in his sentencing statement, Judge Kruger emphasised the fact that we live in a society where violence has become the order of the day and that violence against women has reached alarming and sickening proportions and that courts must send out a message that this will not be tolerated. The rape and the murder were gruesome, vicious, cruel, inhumane and merciless. It was humiliating to the deceased to the extreme. It lacked any respect for human life or the female body.
The Commission calls upon the Justice Cluster to fast track the investigation and prosecution of cases that involve the killing of individuals from the LGBTI communities as we have noted long delays in cases relating to this issue. During the court monitoring process the Commission in the North West Province often had to act as a support structure to the already traumatised family of Disebo Makau.
“We hope the National Task Team formed by the erstwhile Department of Justice and Constitutional Department could fast track legislation that would address hate crime killings," said the Commission for Gender Equality, Chairperson Mr. Mfanozelwe Shozi
Enquiries:
Javu Baloyi
Cell: 083 579 3306
