Deputy Minister Andries Nel: Media Roundtable Discussion commemorating International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia

Hon Steve Letsike, MP
Deputy Minister for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities
Fellow panellists
Comrades and friends
Greetings,

I request you to rise and join me in reciting the Preamble to the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa: 

“We, the people of South Africa, Recognise the injustices of our past; 
Honour those who suffered for justice and freedom in our land;
Respect those who have worked to build and develop our country; and
Believe that South Africa belongs to all who live in it, united in our diversity.
We therefore, through our freely elected representatives, adopt this Constitution as the supreme law of the Republic so as to -
Heal the divisions of the past and establish a society based on democratic values, social justice and fundamental human rights;
Lay the foundations for a democratic and open society in which government is based on the will of the people and every citizen is equally protected by law;
Improve the quality of life of all citizens and free the potential of each person; and
Build a united and democratic South Africa able to take its rightful place as a sovereign state in the family of nations.
May God protect our people.
Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika. Morena boloka setjhaba sa heso.
God seën Suid-Afrika. God bless South Africa.
Mudzimu fhatutshedza Afurika. Hosi katekisa Afrika.”

We are gathered here on the occasion of the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia—commemorated globally on the 17th of May.

This date marks a profound milestone in global human rights history: the day, in 1990, when the World Health Organization declassified homosexuality as a mental disorder.

It is a day that reminds us of how far we have come—and how far we still have to go. This year’s IDAHOBIT theme, “The Power of Communities,” could not be more fitting. It speaks to the collective strength that communities possess to drive transformative
change, challenge stigma, and create spaces of belonging.

As South Africans, this theme echoes the spirit of Ubuntu-Botho—the idea that our humanity is inextricably linked to that of others. It is this ethos that must underpin our commitment to dignity, equality, and justice for all persons, regardless of sexual
orientation, gender identity or expression, or sex characteristics.

The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, affirms the values of human dignity, equality, and freedom. These are not abstract ideals—they are lived commitments.

But for too many persons of diverse Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression, and Sex Characteristics (SOGIESC), these rights remain unrealised. Discrimination, exclusion, and violence persist. It is in response to this enduring reality that Parliament approved the National Intervention Strategy on SOGIESC (2023–2027)— which serves as a collective mandate for government, civil society, and all sectors of society to act against the violence and discrimination faced by persons of diverse SOGIESC.

Historic Background

Our journey to this point did not begin overnight. In 2011, the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, in collaboration with civil society and Chapter 9 institutions, responded to escalating hate crimes—particularly so-called rape and sexual violence targeting lesbian women—by establishing the National Task Team (NTT) on Gender and Sexual Orientation-Based Violence.

Since then, the NTT has been at the forefront of government’s efforts to ensure a coordinated and rights-based response. By 2014, Parliament adopted the first National Intervention Strategy—a milestone in mainstreaming SOGIESC rights within South Africa’s human rights architecture, which led to the establishment of Provincial Task Teams (PTTs), allowing for localised, context-specific interventions that bring our commitments closer to the ground.

The Revised Strategy: 2023–2027

Building on lessons learned, the revised National Intervention Strategy on SOGIESC (2023–2027) represents a more intersectional, survivor-focused, and evidence-driven approach. It is aligned with the National Strategic Plan on Gender-Based Violence and
Femicide (NSP GBVF) and acknowledges the layered vulnerabilities experienced by persons of diverse SOGIESC—particularly those who also face marginalisation due to an intersection of race, class, disability, nationality, or migration status.

The updated strategy focuses on:

• Preventing and responding to violence;
• Strengthening institutional capacity and coordination;
• Promoting legal gender recognition and prohibiting intersex genital mutilation;
• Expanding accountability mechanisms and access to justice, and;
• Embedding LGBTI+ rights within broader socio-economic, civil, and political frameworks.

Governance and Participation

The NIS SOGIESC is not a government document alone—it is a community-owned instrument. Its implementation is driven by the National Task Team (NTT), Provincial Task Teams (PTTs), and the Rapid Response Team (RRT), supported by subcommittees focusing on legal reform, public education, data monitoring, and social cohesion. The strategy creates space for meaningful participation by civil society, intergovernmental forums, Chapter 9 institutions, and affected communities themselves.

Confronting Challenges

While the National Intervention Strategy on SOGIESC represents a significant step forward, we must acknowledge the challenges that continue to impede its full and effective implementation.

These include limited public awareness of the strategy and its structures, budgetary delays and inadequate resourcing, institutional capacity constraints, and insufficient engagement from key departments.

Additionally, entrenched social stigma and resistance from some traditional and religious quarters remain obstacles to progress.
To address these barriers, the strategy calls for strengthened institutional coordination, dedicated focal points within departments, timely and ring-fenced budget allocations, expanded public education efforts, investment in robust data systems to track and
respond to SOGIESC-related violations, and legal reforms to advance gender recognition and prevent harmful practices.

These are not just policy priorities—they are essential commitments to upholding the constitutional rights and human dignity of all persons in South Africa. The NTT has prioritised training and capacity building as a central pillar of the National Intervention Strategy (NIS) on SOGIESC.

In line with the strategy's commitment to institutional strengthening and improved service delivery, the NTT has led various training initiatives targeting key sectors such as the South African Police Service (SAPS), the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), the Departments of Health, Social Development, and Correctional Services. These efforts aim to sensitise officials to the specific challenges faced by persons of diverse SOGIESC to eliminate systemic barriers within the criminal justice system.

PTTs have also benefited from targeted workshops on sexual orientation and genderbased violence, with support from civil society partners. The NIS continues to emphasise the need for ongoing training to ensure that officials are equipped to uphold the rights, dignity, and access to justice for all persons, including persons of diverse SOGIESC.

One of the key points of pride by the NTT Secretariat is the RRT, the RRT is a specialised multi-sectoral mechanism dedicated to urgently addressing hate crimes and serious offenses committed against persons of diverse SOGIESC.

The RRT comprises of representatives from the DOJ&CD, SAPS, the National Prosecuting Authority, and civil society. The RRT plays a vital role in expediting case progress, coordinating victim support, maintaining a centralised hate crimes database, and strengthening interdepartmental responses.

Its proactive and collaborative approach has significantly improved the state’s ability to respond swiftly to SOGIESC-based violence, reduce secondary victimisation, and ensure that justice is not unduly delayed.

The RRT stands as a commendable example of effective, rights-based service delivery in action and will continue to advance access to justice for persons of diverse SOGIESC.

Call to action
The work of the National Intervention Strategy on SOGIESC and the National Task Team (NTT) must not only continue—it must intensify. It is our solemn and collective responsibility to ensure that every life is protected, and that no one is targeted or brutalised simply for living their truth.

In the name of those we have lost—whose only “offence” was to exist openly and authentically—we reaffirm our commitment to justice, to dignity, and to the right of all persons to be who they are, without fear.

One life lost is one too many. We remember and honour the lives of those who were taken too soon, whose bodies became sites of political struggle, and whose names now echo as a call to action:
Muhsin Hendricks; 1
Sphamandla Khoza; 2
Noxolo Nogwaza; 3
Eudy Simelane; 4.

1 A world-renowned openly gay imam and activist, fatally shot in Gqeberha in 2025 . 
2 Khoza was brutally murdered in KwaMashu, Durban, in March 2021 after enduring homophobic abuse. 
3 A brave lesbian activist, raped and murdered in Ekurhuleni in 2011 in what remains a haunting symbol of anti-LGBTQ+ violence 4 A footballer for Banyana Banyana and SOGIESC activist, raped and killed in KwaThema in 2008— her death became an international rallying cry against so-called ‘corrective’ rape.
5 And many others whose names are not mentioned here—but whose lives mattered.

We carry their memory in every step of the work we do. The fight for dignity, inclusion, and safety for persons of diverse SOGIESC is not an abstract one—it is urgent, it is human, and it is ours to carry forward. May our resolve be as strong as their courage. May our actions honour their lives.

Conclusion
Colleagues, stakeholders, members of the media, This strategy is more than a document—it is a commitment. It calls on each of us to honour the dignity of those too often silenced and marginalised. It reminds us that justice is not a privilege reserved for a few, but a right owed to all. 

We reaffirm today that a nation is only as strong as its most vulnerable. Let us, through the power of communities, ensure that the rights of persons of diverse SOGIESC are not only protected in law—but realised in lived experience.

Let us draw on the spirit of Ubuntu to build a South Africa where no one is left behind.

I thank you.