South Africa’s National Task Team on Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, Expression and Sex Characteristics SOGIESC has reaffirmed its mandate to protect the rights of LGBTIQ+ people while strengthening the wider response to hate crime and gender-based violence. Its Rapid Response Team is tracking 36 active priority hate-crime matters nationally: 20 remain under police investigation with no arrest yet, while 16 are enrolled on court rolls. Murder accounts for 18 of the active matters and rape for seven. The Task Team also raised concern about kidnappings, robberies and extortion facilitated through dating apps, including cases involving Grindr. Earlier this year, the NTT said organised groups had been targeting gay men through dating apps for robbery and kidnapping. The NTT’s work is specifically rooted in protecting people targeted because of sexual orientation, gender identity, expression and sex characteristics, while also recognising the links between anti-LGBTQIA+ violence, misogyny, femicide and wider gender-based violence. Source: Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, 25 September 2026. Infogaytion LGBTQNews LGBTQSouthAfrica SOGIESC HateCrime
SA LGBTQIA+ task team tracks 36 priority hate-crime cases
South Africa’s National Task Team on SOGIESC says its role is to advance equality and protect the rights of LGBTIQ+ people, while strengthening the wider criminal-justice response to hate crime, gender-based violence and femicide.