assaulted young gay charges police

By Lesego Masike (BTM Reporter)

July 11, 2007: A twenty-year-old gay man has laid a charge against a Gugulethu police officer, in the Western Cape, who is said to have assaulted and insulted him of his sexual orientation.

Banele Ngwenze-Qhina was walking home with his brother and cousin just after midnight on Monday 23 June when police stopped and started searching them. “While searching us, one officer that I know only as constable Jacobs looked at me and asked ‘are you a moffie?’. The other one then said they should not beat me up because I might be pregnant”, Ngwenze-Qhina said.

Ngwenze-Qhina said that the police started beating him up when they found a toy gun from his jacket. “They arrested me and beat me up brutally while they took me to Gugulethu Police Station. They continued to beat me up at the station while other police officers watched and laughed as Constable Jacobs repeatedly kicked me.”

The victim spent the entire weekend in detention cells and went to court that following Monday where he was released without being charged.

After being to a doctor, Ngwenze-Qhina filled a complaint form which he submitted at the same police station and opened an assault case.

Triangle Project, a gay organisation working towards the eradication of discrimination against and within the LGBT community in Cape Town, has slammed the Gugulethu police for brutality.

“We unequivocally label this incident as a hate crime based on blatant prejudice against gay and lesbian members of the community. It is particularly disturbing that in this instance members of the SAPS, to whom gay and lesbian people should be able to turn for protection, have displayed such blatant homophobia against the defenceless youth”, berated the organisation’s Media Coordinator, Vista Kalipa.

Kalipa revealed that Gugulethu Police Station has a history of mistreating gay and lesbian people reporting cases. “A couple of years ago, a similar incident happened when a young gay man went to report robbery to the Gugulethu Police Station. He was later taken into custody and was harassed by the same police he hoped would help him.”

Contrary to media reports that he had already laid a charge with Independent Complaints Directorate (ICD), Ngwenze-Qhina confirmed that he is planning to report the matter to ICD.

“As part of our mandate as the ICD we would investigate the case if it is brought to our attention”, Thabo Leholo, Regional Director of the Provincial Head of ICD in the Western Cape told BTM.

Marlow Valentine, the Manager of the Community Outreach and Public Education and Training Projects at Triangle Project urged Ngwenze-Qhina to come forward so that they can give him counseling and support.

BTM asked the SAPS for comment but; “We are investigating the matter” was all that Darius Banvderos, Senior Superintendent at Gugulethu police station could say.

Ngwenze-Qhina who sustained bruises in the body and a swollen ear said that he will go for counseling after some time. “Right now I feel safer at home”, he explained.