HUNDREDS of people protested outside the Western Cape legislature yesterday over the cases of 10 lesbians who were raped and murdered in the province.
The perpetrators have allegedly never been successfully prosecuted.
Carrying placards reading: "The criminal justice system in Khayelitsha has failed us", and singing noba besidlwengula, besibulala siyaya (even if they rape, kill us we are going forward), the Social Justice Coalition, Treatment Action Campaign, Free Gender, Triangle Project, Ndifuna Ukwazi, Women's Legal Centre and Equal Education handed over a memorandum to MEC for community safety Dan Plato.
Social Justice Coalition coordinator Wanda Bici said it was the second time they were handing over a memorandum to Plato.
He said Plato's predecessor, Albert Fritz, failed to live up to his promise of investigating why cases involving lesbians were delayed, with many being struck off the roll.
"Now we are giving them a six-week time-frame to make sure Khayelitsha is safe, failing which we will go to the Constitutional Court if we have to. Dockets are getting lost in Khayelitsha. We want an accredited judge to preside over these cases."
Zoliswa Nonkonyane's case, which will be finalised on Friday, has been dragging on for six years. Many accused have been set free.
Bici also referred to the case of a woman who was raped and stoned to death seven years ago. The case is still dragging on. "We are sick and tired of our justice system," he said.
Yonela Nyumeka of Free Gender has accused the police of negligence. She said police's "homophobic" stance against lesbians was a contributing factor to the problems.
"The police put their feelings before the case. If you are a woman reporting rape, they ask you why you are involved with another woman," she said.
Handing over the memorandum, rape victim Fumana Ntlontlo, 32, told the crowd that she was raped in Khayelitsha at the age of eight by people who accused her of being a child lesbian. She said police dropped her case after a year - citing a lack of evidence.
Protests over lesbian killings
HUNDREDS of people protested outside the Western Cape legislature yesterday over the cases of 10 lesbians who were raped and murdered in the province.
The perpetrators have allegedly never been successfully prosecuted.
Carrying placards reading: "The criminal justice system in Khayelitsha has failed us", and singing noba besidlwengula, besibulala siyaya (even if they rape, kill us we are going forward), the Social Justice Coalition, Treatment Action Campaign, Free Gender, Triangle Project, Ndifuna Ukwazi, Women's Legal Centre and Equal Education handed over a memorandum to MEC for community safety Dan Plato.
Social Justice Coalition coordinator Wanda Bici said it was the second time they were handing over a memorandum to Plato.
He said Plato's predecessor, Albert Fritz, failed to live up to his promise of investigating why cases involving lesbians were delayed, with many being struck off the roll.
"Now we are giving them a six-week time-frame to make sure Khayelitsha is safe, failing which we will go to the Constitutional Court if we have to. Dockets are getting lost in Khayelitsha. We want an accredited judge to preside over these cases."
Zoliswa Nonkonyane's case, which will be finalised on Friday, has been dragging on for six years. Many accused have been set free.
Bici also referred to the case of a woman who was raped and stoned to death seven years ago. The case is still dragging on. "We are sick and tired of our justice system," he said.
Yonela Nyumeka of Free Gender has accused the police of negligence. She said police's "homophobic" stance against lesbians was a contributing factor to the problems.
"The police put their feelings before the case. If you are a woman reporting rape, they ask you why you are involved with another woman," she said.
Handing over the memorandum, rape victim Fumana Ntlontlo, 32, told the crowd that she was raped in Khayelitsha at the age of eight by people who accused her of being a child lesbian. She said police dropped her case after a year - citing a lack of evidence.
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