Sosh man attacked for being gay
A campaign aimed at addressing hate crimes against lesbians, gay, bisexual and intersexual people was held in Soshanguve.
David Matsena
A gay man who recently became a victim of an apparent homophobic attack has spoken out about his harrowing ordeal.
Speaking during the Love Not Hate campaign at the Falala community hall in Soshanguve, Vurgee Tshabalala said he was offered a lift in a private vehicle from Transfer in Soshanguve to town.
There were three people in the car.
“Along the way, the car stopped and I was ordered to take off my clothes. The three were violent and aggressive, and said they wanted to see my private parts,” explained Vurgee, still traumatised by the incident.
“When I refused and instead asked to get out of the car, they overpowered me and forced me to disrobe. They assaulted me while playing with my private parts.”
He said after they were done, they left him in the middle of nowhere on the Mabopane highway.
“I took a taxi to Soshanguve police station and reported the incident. Then the policeman who was taking my statement invited his colleagues to come and hear my story. As I told them what had happened, they started laughing. I left the station without any help. I was traumatised by the ordeal. I spent a week in counselling,” said Vurgee.
He said he was hurt by the way gay people were being treated in the community.
“I was created in the image of God. I did not choose to be the way I am,” he said.
“Every now and then, I remember what I experienced that day and I cry.”
Love Not Hate campaign director Motlatsi Motseoile said the programme was organised in response to a spike in hate crimes against LGTBI (lesbian, gay, bisexual and intersexual people) particularly in Soshanguve.
Incidents of homophobic attacks have not only affected Soshanguve, but have hit the country in recent times.
On 18 December last year, the mutilated and burnt body of a 21-year-old lesbian, Motshidisi Pasca Melamu, was discovered in Gauteng, Evaton North. It is believed that she was also raped.
On 27 December, 30-year-old Phoebe Titus, a transgender woman, was knifed in the neck in broad daylight, allegedly by a 15-year-old in Wolseley, Western Cape.
A month before, the naked body of 35-year-old LGBTI music student Bobby Motlatla was discovered in his Potchefstroom flat. He had been stabbed 39 times.
“Enough is enough. Every attack is one too many,” commented Lerato Phalakatshela, Love Not Hate manager at OUT LGBT Well-being. “We all need to work together to stop these hate crimes, be it by conducting marches, submitting memoranda or going to the media to help get our voices heard.”
He welcomed recent reports that the long-awaited Hate Crimes bill will soon be presented to Cabinet and then released to the public for comment.
“Hate crime legislation is desperately needed,” said Phalakatshela.
“It will not only penalise perpetrators for the hate-based nature of their crimes, but will also finally allow the authorities to accurately monitor these incidents and respond as needed.”
He urged the LGBTI community and the public to provide information on hate crime cases to the authorities.
As part of the Love Not Hate awareness campaign, OUT LGBT Well-being, the department of justice and constitutional development and the foundation for human rights are hosting a public dialogue in Tshwane about the LGBTI community and the hate crimes faced by its members.
Love Not Hate is a collaboration between seven civil society organisations in Gauteng, Western Cape, Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal aimed at bringing awareness about hate crime against LGBTI to public attention.
This includes assisting victims to report the case and navigate the justice system, as well as tracking hate crimes.
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