SOUTH AFRICA — South Africa’s leading intersectoral body on sexual orientation and gender identity has doubled down on its pledge to protect LGBTIQ+ communities, even as a sobering new case register reveals dozens of unresolved hate-crime investigations across the country.
The National Task Team on Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, Expression and Sex Characteristics (NTT on SOGIESC) used its Quarter 2 plenary session to restate its core mandate: advancing equality, improving how state institutions respond to discrimination, and safeguarding the constitutional rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer individuals.
Deputy Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development Andries Nel and Civil Society Organisations Co-Chairperson Sibonelo Ncanana-Trower jointly presided over the gathering, which placed particular emphasis on the persistent scourge of gender-based violence and femicide. Delegates drew explicit connections between misogyny, violent discrimination, and the targeted killings of LGBTIQ+ people, calling for a more robust and coordinated criminal justice response that includes greater police visibility, comprehensive investigations, and successful prosecutions.
Hate Crimes Act regulations inch closer to implementation
On the legislative front, Nel confirmed that the Ministry has received the draft Regulations under the Prevention and Combating of Hate Crimes and Hate Speech Act of 2023 and is actively reviewing them. Once the Ministry gives its approval, the Regulations will be forwarded to Parliament, which must consider them at least 60 days before they can be published in the Government Gazette. Finalizing these Regulations is widely seen as the critical last step before the Act can be brought into full operation.
36 active hate-crime cases tracked nationally
The plenary’s Rapid Response Team presented its Quarter 2 Case Register, painting a stark picture of the violence facing the community. The register currently monitors 36 priority hate-crime matters across South Africa. Of those, 20 remain under active police investigation with no arrests made to date, while 16 have progressed to court enrollment. Murder constitutes the largest category, accounting for 18 of the active files, followed by seven rape cases.
The RRT also flagged a disturbing trend of kidnappings, robberies, and extortion schemes orchestrated through dating applications, with specific cases linked to the platform Grindr.
In a rare note of progress, the meeting highlighted a recent murder conviction in KwaZakhele in the Eastern Cape, where the perpetrator received a 13-year prison sentence.
Police cooperation and community reporting urged
To help break the logjam in stalled investigations, Nel welcomed a commitment from Deputy Minister of Police Dr Polly Boshielo to join the NTT’s efforts, a move expected to strengthen coordination between the task team and law enforcement.
Nel urged victims and affected communities to report hate-motivated violence to the South African Police Service without delay and, where appropriate, to escalate matters to Provincial Task Teams or the NTT Secretariat.
“This will enable cases to be monitored and relevant support to be coordinated,” Nel said.
Provincial structures expand, new members join
The plenary recorded progress on the provincial front, with the Secretariat completing procedures that will allow Provincial Task Teams to access earmarked funding and wrapping up civil society co-chair elections at the provincial level.
The NTT also broadened its coalition, welcoming the participation of the Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities (CRL Rights Commission) and the National Youth Development Agency. Three civil society organizations — Outright International, the South African Workplace Equality Index, and the MambaOnline Foundation — were formally ratified as new NTT members.
Continental headwinds and the road to 2027
Looking beyond South Africa’s borders, the task team discussed a wave of emerging continental and international campaigns that seek to roll back sexual and reproductive health rights, gender equality, and LGBTIQ+ protections. Delegates took note of civil society mobilization efforts ahead of the Pan-African Conference on Family Values, scheduled for May 2027, and pledged to defend, consolidate, and advance the constitutional values of equality, dignity, and freedom that underpin South Africa’s democratic order.
