Cape Town - As part of the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children Campaign, the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development led a march in Nyanga to raise awareness of the rights of LGBTIQ+ persons.
With this year's theme being “Moving from Awareness to Accountability”, the department sought to address legislation, policies and services that will help prevent and combat hate crimes for many people who face prejudice, discrimination and violence in their daily lives as a result of their sexual orientation.
The department’s spokesperson, Steve Mahlangu, said there was a great need to raise awareness within the communities where the hate crimes take place, because by doing this, attitudes could change and gender-based violence (GBV) could be addressed in all its forms.
“As reported by National Task Team, hate crimes picked up during lockdown, with the Western Cape having nine murders, three rape cases from the 24th June 2021 to 29 June 2021 alone, with many more cases still awaiting conviction.
“The challenge is that there needs to be change in attitudes within communities and acceptance of LGBTIQ+ persons. The department in partnership with the civil society organisations, key government departments and Chapter Nine Institutions (the NTT) has been implementing prevention programmes, through workshops and community dialogues, targeting schools, communities, faith-based organisations and traditional leaders.
“That’s why, as we embark on the 16 Days of Activism Campaign, it is vital that LGBTIQ+ persons are also included in the campaign so that we can prevent and combat hate crimes and GBV in all its forms. The majority of black lesbian women and transgender women are victims of these violations. The trends have shown that the majority of hate crimes are taking place in Gauteng, Western Cape, North West and now recently during the lockdown KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape.
“Societal attitudes play a big role, and since these attitudes are influenced by patriarchy and toxic masculinity, these are the attitudes that we need to change. We should be celebrating diversity,” said Mahlangu.
Kasi Pride founder Luxolo Ndlovu said that while he was excited that the department was showing support, more work still needed to be done.
“Unlike other countries, I am glad South Africa’s Constitution allows same-sex marriage because that will keep motivating young queers who are being judged and discriminated at school to push through.
“I appreciate the support they showed. They are truly pushing so hard to educate people. And I wish many funders can come through since I want to take the initiative further,” said Ndlovu.
Weekend Argus