Call for justice for hate crime
THE death of a gay man, killed apparently because of his sexuality, has caused an outcry across the country, with a protest scheduled to take place today.
The body of Andile “Lulu” Ntuthela, 40, from KwaNobuhle in the Eastern Cape, was found buried in a yard at a residence in Matana Street, on April 10. Regional police spokesperson Priscilla Naidu said a 28-year-old suspect was arrested after bloodstains were found in his home.
The #JusticeForLulu campaign is gaining momentum – a clarion call for speedy justice after more recent killings of gay people.
The protest is expected to start at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology and finish at Parliament at noon today. Organiser Kamva Gwana said the protest was necessary because it demanded stronger actions against LGBTQIA+ hate crimes.
“We call on the greater society to recognise the vulnerability of LGBTQIA+ people in South Africa and to #StandWithUs as we call for justice for the lives lost and an end to the war on LGBTQIA+ people in this nation. We recognise the proximity these attacks have to the gender-based violence and femicide we live under, and we call on our society to recognise LGBTQIA+ people being targeted under the same hatred and societal ill.”
Film-maker, activist and organiser Tutu Zondo said the LGBTIQIA+ community was suffering.
“We’re being gruesomely killed, raped and not treated as equal members of society. We live in an incredible country that has laws and rights for LGBTQIA+ people but our lived experiences don’t always reflect that.
“South Africa is one of the leading countries when it comes to correctional rape against lesbian women, and the average lifespan of a black trans woman is only 35. Something needs to be done.”
A memorandum of demands related to the Hate Crime Bill and sensitivity training for police will be handed over at Parliament.