An epidemic of hate is threatening South Africa’s progress toward LGBTQ+ equality

In the early hours of August 10th, the police responded to a shooting incident in Malvern, Johannesburg, where they found the lifeless body of a 22-year-old trans woman with multiple gunshot wounds. She was shot nine times while walking home after a night out with friends.

The victim, Clement Hadebe, had recently started transitioning and had just moved from her hometown of Newcastle in KwaZulu-Natal to Malvern, where she was living with her boyfriend before her death. 

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After Hadebe’s murder, she became a target of bigotry and victim-blaming on social media. The local media had run false stories on the circumstances surrounding her death. Multiple articles reported that she was killed after trying to hook up with a man without disclosing her “true” gender to him.

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One  Facebook user wrote, “The killer did the right thing… You can’t make a fool of me and think I’ll just accept it.” Local blogs fueled the hate even more with tabloids like “Gay man killed for deceiving a man who thought he was a woman”  and “Killed for not being a woman.” 

Sibonelo Ncanana, the civil society engagement officer for OUT LGBT Well-being, an LGBTQ+ advocacy group, expressed deep concern over the tragedy and the subsequent transphobic victim-blaming.

“Victim-blaming is never acceptable,” Ncanana said in a statement. “The notion that LGBTIQ+ people are hiding who they are when they are simply being themselves is deeply concerning. Our identity is not something that requires disclosure.” 

“In Clement’s case, much of what has been reported is speculative. But even if the suspect was initially unaware that Clement was LGBTIQ+, there can never be any justification for violence. Clement did nothing wrong by being her authentic self.” 

The global rise in right-wing ideologies, along with Africa’s surge in anti-LGBTQ+ laws, poses a continuous threat to the safety and dignity of queer people in South Africa and across the continent. 

Several African countries, including Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, and Ghana have recently enacted or proposed draconian anti-LGBTQ+ laws that not only criminalize same-sex relationships but also clamp down on LGBTQ+ advocacy and support. 

The legislation has placed South Africa – a country often praised for its progressive constitution and legal protections for LGBTQ+ rights, including being the only country in Africa with marriage equality – in a precarious position. 

The country finds itself increasingly isolated on the continent, making it difficult to uphold its progressive stance. Unsurprisingly, the nation is grappling with a concerning increase in brutal violence and hate crimes.

A hate epidemic

Within a month of Hadebe’s murder, five more LGBTQ+ South Africans were killed in suspected hate crimes.

Xolani Xaka, a 32-year-old gay man from Gqeberha was repeatedly stabbed to death on August 18. He had gone to investigate a noise he heard outside the home he shared with his uncle when he was attacked by three men.

On the 27th of August, lesbian couple Nombulelo Thandathina Bhixa and Minenhle Ngcobo – who friends described as “very much in love”  – were shot dead while boarding a taxi in Edendale, Pietermaritzburg. Local news reports indicate that the suspect is Ngcobo’s ex-boyfriend with whom she shares a child. He was reportedly unhappy with her being in a relationship with a woman. Further investigations revealed evidence of violence towards Ngcobo, leading to a protection order being filed against the suspect for constant harassment towards the couple.

And Lazarus Ikaneng Thomas, a 50-year-old gay man from Galeshewe, was reportedly strangled to death and had acid poured all over him. Authorities discovered Thomas’s decomposing body on September 7th after neighbors complained of an unpleasant smell emanating from his home.

And back in February, 21-year-old Diego Jacobs was fatally stabbed in the neck while walking home with friends. The killer was a former neighbor who had harassed and attacked him multiple times for being gay.

Laws can’t change culture

Despite significant global progress toward acceptance and equality, most South African societies still hold conservative values that stigmatize and marginalize queer individuals. In May, South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the Prevention and Combating of Hate Crimes and Hate Speech Bill to promote equality. However, its practicality and effectiveness are being questioned due to the surge in attacks against LGBTQ+ individuals.

The rise in violence can be attributed to a combination of societal biases and a growing resurgence of anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment across the continent. The reintroduction of draconian anti-LGBTQ+ laws in Uganda triggered a domino effect, leading other countries to adopt similar policies, intensifying existing homophobic sentiments, and creating factors contributing to the increase in violence far beyond their borders.

Uganda’s 2023 Anti-Homosexuality Act imposes the death penalty for “aggravated homosexuality,” contributing to a regional environment where homophobia is widely accepted. This undermines South Africa’s progressive legal system while encouraging individuals with anti-LGBTQ+ views to harm queer people and feel justified by the broader trend of repression across the continent. 

African politicians also use anti-LGBTQ+ sentiments to divert attention from economic or governing failures. They present themselves as defenders of ‘African values’ against perceived Western influence, drumming up support from conservative constituencies while scapegoating the LGBTQ+ community. 

In South Africa, some political leaders have made statements that encourage violence against the LGBTQ+ community. 

In February 2024, for example, former President Jacob Zuma expressed strong opposition to the legal recognition of same-sex relationships, describing it as a “disgrace.” He vowed that if his party were elected, he would work to overturn these rights in favor of what he referred to as “African law” over “Dutch laws”. Prior to assuming the presidency in 2006, he made a highly controversial statement at a Heritage Day event that sparked outrage and worsened the already hostile environment toward queer individuals.

 “When I was growing up, an ungqingili [a derogatory term for gay men] would not have stood in front of me. I would knock him out,” Zuma stated.

While the African National Congress (ANC), the ruling party in the nation, generally supports LGBTQ+ rights, there are factions within the party in addition to those in opposition parties that use homophobia for political gain.

Many activists also believe religious and cultural beliefs are contributing to the continued attacks on LGBTQ+ South Africans.

“Religion remains a powerful force shaping attitudes toward LGBTQ people in South Africa and across Africa,” activist Bandile Mokoena told LGBTQ Nation. “The alignment of religious beliefs with traditional values creates challenges for LGBTQ acceptance, which impact the safety and well-being of queer individuals in the country.” 

 “Christian Evangelical movements, often backed by conservative organizations from abroad, have gained considerable influence in South Africa. They have been spreading anti-LGBTQ ideologies, framing LGBTQ identities as moral failures and threats to family values. This has contributed to the entrenchment of homophobia within religious and cultural discourse in the country.” he added.

 While the South African government has acknowledged the rise in LGBTQ+-targeted crimes, efforts to combat them remain inadequate. Law enforcement frequently does not prioritize these hate crimes, which has led to multiple reports of harassment and indifference toward LGBTQ+ victims. 

The media also has a significant influence on shaping perceptions of LGBTQ+ Africans. Local media often sensationalizes and shows bias, depicting LGBTQ+ people as deviant, predatory, or foreign agitators corrupting African culture. These depictions incite moral panic and embolden individuals and groups to take action against those they see as threats. Although there has been some improvement in the representation of LGBTQ+ people in South African mainstream media, negative stereotypes and harmful narratives continue to persist.

South African patriarchal societies also enforce rigid gender norms that discriminate against queer individuals who do not conform to traditional heterosexual expectations. Men who subscribe to these patriarchal values see lesbian women as an affront to their masculinity and heterosexual entitlement, while transgender women and gay men are often attacked for violating these rigid male expectations. 

Addressing the rising violence against LGBTQ+ individuals in South Africa requires more than just legal reform. Efforts should also focus on changing public attitudes, improving institutional responses, and protecting vulnerable communities.

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