Today we reflect on the ongoing scourge of hate- crimes in South Africa and across the globe as we mourn the brutal murder of 16-year-old Kwakhanya Mhlanganisi.
By Mogau Makitla
Kwakhanya, a young queer teenager from Khayelitsha, Cape Town (South Africa), was allegedly beaten with bricks before being burnt in an attack that his family and community strongly believe was fuelled by homophobia. His death is a devastating reminder that, despite constitutional protections, many LGBTQI+ people in South Africa continue to face targeted violence simply for living authentically.
Hate crimes are not only acts of extreme violence against individuals – but they are also deliberate attacks on our communities, identities, and fundamental human rights. They aim to instil fear and reinforce prejudice, undermining the very freedoms and values that the South African Constitution aims to uphold.
As the world commemorates International Human Rights Day, we must remember that there can be no meaningful commitment to human rights whilst LGBTQI+ people remain unsafe in their homes, neighbourhoods, schools, workspaces, supermakets and social spaces. We remember those whose lives have been lost, including Eudy Simelane, Nare Mphela, Kagiso Maema, Tebogo Mkhonto, Lucia Naidoo, Mabelandile Mohlabi, Athule Mahlathini, imam Muhsim Hendricks and the many other lives that have been lost.
This violence does not occur in isolation; it is rooted in intersecting systems of patriarchy, homophobia, transphobia, racialised poverty, and the deep inequalities that shape daily life in South Africa. LGBTQI+ safety is inseparable from broader human rights: the right to life, dignity, justice, education, healthcare, safety, and freedom from discrimination. We call on the South African government to urgently implement a comprehensive national response to accompany the Prevention of Hate crimes and Hate Crimes Act including resourcing community-led protection mechanisms, to ensure that there are accountability mechanisms across policing and justice systems.
Our nation’s commitment to human rights must be measured not in promises, but in the lived safety and freedom of every person. Iranti stands in solidarity with the communities who have lost loved ones and all who continue to fight for a South Africa where every person can live freely, safely, and without prejudice.