O-blog-dee-o-blog-da

By Melanie Nathan, Nov 23, 2010

SOUTH AFRICA, Cape Town:  President Zuma has failed the people of South Africa, especially women and lesbians.   Once standing trial himself for rape, this President is not doing anything to protect South African women.  What can we expect from an administration that just last week  signed on to a UN declaration that in essence serves to open the door in Africa for Arbitrary execution of gays,lesbians, bisexual and transgender people, in flagrant disregard for the Declaration of Human Rights.

I have been writing extensively on this topic of corrective rape and was disturbed and sad to receive this e-mail tonight from Ndumie Funda, the activist who under the non-profit banner “Lulekwi Sizwe,”  helps “corrective” rape victims by housing them in her two room leaking shack in the township of Gugulethu in South Africa.

Just last week we published an email from Ndumie Funda where she pleads for protection for herself and other victims especially for those, like Millicent Gaika who are giving testimony in the trial of accused rapist Andile Ncgosi.   Ms. Funda is a tireless warrior and working with no help at all.  Her letter is heartbreaking.

The South African press has also failed the  victims of this horrendous brutality; we are talking not about a village or a war zone – we are talking high rises and concrete and tourists.   I have called the Press out in South Africa on their failure to take notice of their own citizens -in context of last weeks tragic killing of a British honeymooner killed in a car hijacking.  The latter has had enormous  attention, but endemic rapes, murders and suicides of South African lesbians and other women remain unreported. Victims are left to fend for themselves with no resources whatsoever, and worse yet no protection from perpetrators who continue to live as neighbors of victims and continue to victimize them either psychologically through overt threats or physically again and again and again…..

Shame on South Africa-

Here is the tragic new event….

Dear Meza  (Note English is Ms Funda’s second language.).

Hope all are doing fine me on my side things are still the same today i’m going back to my cabin,I saw him yesterday his was still driving the red tazz.Still not safe but sparkling.Sunday i turn some girls were looking for help down,Ayanda  called me first to say sis Ndumie my friend just got raped and i need your help ,she was wants to kill herself pls help sis Ndumie,i said in response sis i understand you honestly but i also need help,as i’m currently being harassed when helping you guys.

Yesterday i received another call from Ayanda she said – sis Ndumie my friend killed herself on Monday .  She couldn’t stand watcthing the 4 guys who raped her because she was a lesbian.  Stigma its a problem here and also one of the this Ayanda highlighted to me
is you report the case to the police and do nothing about it no protection.   All Ayanda was asking from is sis Ndumie help my friend
like the other victims – you help and i could because i also need help.

Now i feel bad Bulelwa is no more and i couldn’t help her with my space and advice her how to lay charges. Sorry this is my calling i will fight up until the last drops of my blood. I once lost my partner and a friend not this tme .a months back another lesbian from Nyanga was found dead in area called Delft and her funeral was 2 weeks back and now this shit and the

Zuma is granting these animals bail.

i repeat Zuma because its his cabinet .stress…stressed .

Bulelwa’s funeral is nextweek in Port Elizaberth.

We shall over come oneday for deep in my heart i do believe!

Ndumie.

UPDATE:  Today I called President Zuma and spoke to his Press Secretary  – I asked this Question- Is President Zuma aware of the crime of corrective rape against lesbians in South Africa and if so what is he doing about it?  She answered that she could not comment because she did not know what the context of the ARTICLE will be.  She gave me another number to call to get information about my policy related questions.  I am now calling the office of he Minister of Justice – Melanie.

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By Melanie Nathan
[email protected]

I will be putting out a Petition soon to:
1. Ask Secretary Clinton to step in;
2. Ask the International and especially GAY and Lesbian (LGBTQI) community to boycott tourism to South Africa until Lesbians are fully protected with health and security resources
3. Ask that Zuma direct a special task force to educate and  investigate and pursue rapists – mmmm – right a country where one in four men admits to rape.