by Thekwane Bongi Mpisholo

Time                    :   7 am
Day                       :  Sunday
Date                     :   30 June 2013
Wind direction   :   North West
Wind speed         :  15 knots
Cloud cover        :   Clear (None)
Temperature      :   08 minimum, 21 maximum
Significance        :  Last day of  37 years of youth month commemoration.
Location              :  Thokoza (Ekurhuleni) formally known as East-Rand.
Front opposite of Dezi’s Spaza Shop.

A typical Sunday morning where worshippers are preparing to go to church, workers are already planning for the day ahead, and children look forward to Sunday school, while those who are reaping the fruits of payday are deciding which needs are to be fulfilled first.

Meanwhile, close by lies a body of a 26 year old woman, weighing + 55kg, and 1,45 meters tall.
Her head was facing the entrance of the neighbour’s house with no gate were she was found, on the left side of an out of order toilet with no door.  While her feet were towards the sidewall of the house, and nearby on the left is a washing line.

The last time seen she had a short side shaven s-curl cut, she was wearing a dark navy blue shirt with white printing in front and a torn brown or maroon hoody. Her face and neck were bruised.
Her underwear and pants had been pulled down all the way to her ankles, but removed on the right leg completely with only one shoe left on her left foot, the second shoe lay besides her. Her lower legs and thighs were bruised too.
A + 35 cm toilet brush was lodged inside her vagina.
There was a concrete slab which might have been used to bash her petite body was a next to the discovered body.
What a sour note to end Youth month.

Her defenseless body was discovered at 7am and was only removed at the scene late in the afternoon. During the hours that the body was left unattended the family used a duvet cover to protect the little ounce of dignity her body possessed, even after the horrific untimely death.

The teenagers were forbidden to enter the yard where the body was discovered, only adults were allowed.  It means that later that yard will need to be cleansed to avoid ‘umkhokha’ – English translation – to avoid the similar brutal incidents to occur again in particular space.
According to Nguni tribal ritual ‘umuntu uyalandwa ngehlahla’.
The cleansing ceremony is costly and requires that the family of deceased buy a goat or a cow to perform that ritual. Considering the fact that Duduzile is living below poverty line, struggling to bury her let alone make ends meet, the question now is who will pay for that damage.
Zokisane Zozo, Dudu’s older sister heard a neighbor screaming the victim’s name and thought that maybe she was involved in a fight, but to her surprise it was her half naked body that was causing the commotion in the neighborhood that morning.
The victim was the 2^nd   born of the three daughters of Mrs Thoziwe Zozo, by the name of Duduzile “111” Zozo.

This latest incident of brutal hate crime angered the LGBTI communities in Ekurhuleni and beyond so much that they planned an unauthorized march which took place at Mkhathisizwe Primary School, Emazulwini section on the 4^th July 2013.
The demonstration started officially next to the building where the Nokuthula Radebe (20) was found murdered on 27 March 2011.  She was the first (reported) black lesbian victim of hate crime in Thokoza and the 7^th reported female victim in that township.
Thus the march proceeded along Khumalo main road, just 8 minutes into the march another march came from the opposite direction to form an even bigger group.  The unified march therefore lasted for 45 minutes and it was 0,00165 kilometers in distance from where it started and ended up at Thintane Street, Basothong section. People were chanting slogans of liberation and expressing their pain in different forms.

The “memorial service” started at 17:30 and finished at 20:00 having several speakers voicing their anger, frustrations and concerns. People gathered around and formed a circle allowing each speaker inside when they speak.

Amongst the speakers were Ayanda Magoloza “Sista A” from Ihawu, Tumi Mkhuma from Chosen FEW, and this is what they had to say.”

Tumi “Tsubasa”
“I am going to say sorry to the lgbti sector, we are with you too Dudu’s family and
lastly I want to say may your spirits be uplifted to the community as a whole. Guys let us pray even harder and put our trust and faith in God.”

Ihawu Spokesperson – Sista A 
“Ihawu is a young lesbian women’s organisation that deals with human rights violation and other social differences. We are based in Mnisi Street, we are not catering for Katlehong rather KaThoRus as a whole. I want to uplift the spirits of the Zozo family. We all have lost a sister; we intend to support the family left, we are here to right and center, to show that the is no bin to throw the lgbti, they will not break us, the more we are killed the more we shall rise. We shall cut off the rapists testes, I am also glad the suspects have been arrested as we speak”. Even in court we shall be there to show our support, if it means that we must dig up cold cases we will, I also want to ask the community as a whole to help us, since we all are one, if you came here to laugh it might happen to you too, as you might have other family    members who are also part of the lgbti sector.

Certain people are very special in life and their absence will be felt to those who remain  behind. I am glad that there men here with us to support spaces we do need men in these spaces. We are tired of (homophobic people) who don’t know how to propose a woman”.

Colleague, Kgomotso 
“I knew Dudu from an early age, her being a lesbian didn’t bother me, we grew  up together, drank together ,partied, we also shared a lot of things as friends, to me she was like one of the guys. The fact that she was a lesbian only hit me today as I see people gathered here, since it was not constantly on my mind. Even the language we used was the same we clicked on another level, we shared our destiny, we were there for each other’ups and downs, even gave each other sexual  and relationship advice. At times I would not want to go to work but she would motivate me to go.
It is sad that we lost her being a bread winner and all. When I told her that I want to buy a car she replied by saying she wants to by her mom a house. Most guys should be tolerant like me KG, I chill with lesbians with no quarrel whatsoever”.

Neighbour and friend (Mphikeleli)
“Dudu and I go way back since childhood, we played soccer together, got into    trouble as well.  Guys let us stop pretending for one another, I am surprised that   some people who had hidden agendas are here today to show support for Dudu. Whatever I wanted from her I always got and the feeling was mutual”.
It is so unfortunate that the two weeks I haven’t been around Dudu ha such a tragic ordeal happen to her. I do not know this was done to prove a point to who? But I am really hurt though, can we be true friends and look out for one another because the slightest opportunity the enemy gets they attack”

Metro FM is the 2nd in position commercial radio Station in South Africa that has a 6 million listenership

Zama Nyuswa –Nyuswa:
(Metro Fm afternoon drive news reader)
“Family of the slain lesbian is requesting for financial assistance to bury their loved one. This is after the body of their daughter was found laying dead in Thokoza, they also believe their daughter was murdered due to her sexual orientation”.
 
Khozi FM which is the number 1 largest commercial radio station with an estimate of 11 000 000 .00 listeners, mentioned during the morning slot 9am to 12pm the Dudu Khoza show and 3 to 6pm Dj S’gqemeza show that the Zozo family was pleading to the public as a whole for financial assistance.

May Duduzile Zozo’s soul rest in peace, while her family finds comfort within her friends.
Donations of any kind or amount will be gladly appreciated. The deceased was the breadwinner in the family of six 6 people, when she met her untimely, painful death she was working as a casual worker at Shoprite, Germiston Branch.

On 8^th July 2013, Democratic Alliance known as DA’s (MP) Lindiwe Mazibuko led a march in Thokoza township, east of Johannesburg later joined by, the shadow (also meaning Deputy) Minister of Health, Patricia Kopane (MP), Shadow Minister of Women Children and People with Disabilities Helen Lamoela (MP), Women’s Network Chairperson Denise Robinson (MP) were there to show their support and respect.
Their concern is about increase of hate crime cases, this comes after Helen Zille, DA President visited a family of ‘curative rape’ – hate crime survivor in Gugulethu (Western-Cape) last week.

The official memorial service of Dudu is as follows:

Date      :                10 July 13 (Wednesday)

Venue   :                Thokoza Youth Center  on Khumalo Road

Time      :                16:00

Contact :               Ayanda Magoloza “Sister A” (Ihawu Spokesperson and Organiser)

Tel.        :               078 165 8300

The funeral will take place on the 13 July 2013.

Previous by Thekwane Bongi

2013 June 23: Beyond Binaries meeting

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