Cape Town - The Government Communication and Information System and the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development will be hosting a virtual panel, aimed at raising awareness on LGBTQ+ rights and laws in South Africa, today.
The meeting also aims to raise awareness in society and serve as a reminder that the protection and promotion of LGBTQI+ rights are recognised and uplifted by our Constitution.
GCIS chief director William Baloyi said the panel would consist of the Department of Justice and the chairperson of the LGBTQI+ national task team. The platform would be used to inform the public on LGBTQI+ laws and discuss legislation, such as the highly contested Prevention and Combating of Hate Crimes and Hate Speech Bill.
“The South African Constitution guarantees the protection and promotion of the rights of the queer community. However, in many parts of South Africa this isn’t the reality. The LGBTQI+ community has called on Cyril Ramaphosa to condemn this plight as he has with gender-based violence as it is a serious matter.”
Baloyi said the panel and virtual discussion had been prompted by an extreme surge in violence against the queer community in recent weeks, including the murders of members of the LGBTQI+ community. Hate crimes, such as corrective rape and violent attacks, fuelled by homophobia have raised concerns.
Founder and director of Luleki Sizwe LBT Women’s Project Ndumie Funda expressed her frustration of the LGBTQI+ struggle being commercialised by NGOs/organisations and used by political parties during election season as mandate.
Funda, who is a member of the LGBTQI+ community,a gay-rights activist and feminist, said verbal awareness alone would neither help the community nor calm the situation. The panel also needed to discuss legislative change and united ground forces.
“We feel like orphans in our own country, only relevant to the government and several LGBTQI+ NGOs when there is a large media presence but for 365 days our struggles and voices are not heard.
“Part of the solution is government investing in LGBTQI+ structures that are based and work directly in townships where the LGBTQI+ are most vulnerable. We need people who not just going to report on the deaths of the community during a media frenzy but people who will empower them in terms of education, education and support. We need to talk about how far we are with the implementation of the hate crime bill.”
Weekend Argus