Johannesburg – Justice and Constitutional Development Minister Jeff Radebe today launched the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex (LGBTI) programme aimed at protecting the rights of those that are vulnerable in their communities.
This follows the establishment of the National Task Team (NTT) in 2011 to develop a National Intervention Strategy to address corrective rape, among other things.
The purpose of the NTT was to develop a National Intervention Strategy to address gender and sexual orientation-based violence against LGBTI persons, especially in the criminal justice system.
Training and sensitising people to the rights of LGBTI persons has been identified as one of the priority areas and as such, work has started on an audit of available training materials to sensitise government officials to the service needs of LGBTI people.
Speaking at the launch, Minister Radebe warned perpetrators of violence against the LGBTI community that such acts of criminality will not be tolerated. He said the justice system would respond harshly to perpetrators of such crimes.
“We have legislated against discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation in the work place. Our Constitution lays the basis for the construction of a democratic, non-racial, non-sexist, united and prosperous society based on justice, equality, the rule of law and the inalienable human rights of all,” the minister said.
He said so far, there have been a number of successes in the prosecution of perpetrators of violence against LGBTI persons.
The launch of the LGBTI programme received a thumbs-up from various chapter 9 institutions, which include the South African Human Rights Commission.
Also speaking at the event, Human Rights Commission chairperson Lawrence Mushwana commended the Justice Department for speeding up the process of ensuring that the rights of LGBTI persons are recognised.
“Over the years, the Human Rights Commission has ensured that the rights of all persons are recognised. Gender issues are still a sensitive issue. We need to ensure that perpetrators of violence against LGBTI persons are prosecuted,” he said.
LGBTI activist Nonhlanhla Mkhize thanked government launching the programme. “We were freed to be who we want to be,” she said, calling on government to continue to protect the rights of LGBTI persons.
The NTT comprises members of civil society, the South African Human Rights Commission, Foundation for Human Rights and government representatives.
The action plan developed by the NTT included monitoring of pending and unresolved criminal cases involving LGBTI victims. – SAnews.gov.za
