Gender activist slain ‘because she was gay’

THE family of slain lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) activist Thapelo Sehata say she was killed because she was gay.

Sehata was found while still alive in bushes in Senwabarana outside Polokwane in Limpopo last week. She had been raped and severely beaten. The 23-year-old was rushed to the Helen Franz Hospital and died on Wednesday last week.

In a voice note yesterday, family spokesperson Tumelo Letselane said they were aware that it was a hate crime.

“We know what happened here. It was a hate crime, and we know that there is more than one suspect involved here. Some of them we see roaming the streets as we speak.”

The incident came just days before the Women’s Day celebrations, commemorating the day when hundreds of women in 1956 marched to the Union Buildings to protest against the carrying of passes. Speaking to the Pretoria News yesterday, police spokesperson Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo said they were hot on the heels of the perpetrators.

“No arrests have been made yet. The investigation is ongoing and arrests are imminent,” he said.

He said Sehata was found by members of the Community Service Centre, and they reported to the police that an African female had died at Helen FranZ Hospital after transporting her there.

According to the police, preliminary investigations suggested that Sehata was raped, severely assaulted, and left lying in the bushes next to the hospital.

Limpopo MEC for Social Development, Nkakareng Rakgoale, visited the family in Desmond Park yesterday, and called on the police to act swiftly.

“We must reiterate that it’s so disappointing to go through a situation of this kind, especially during Women’s Month,” Rakgoele said.