THE SMART NEWS SOURCE | Feb 10 2010 00:31 | LAST UPDATED Feb 10 2010 00:31 |
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A man was jailed for life on Tuesday for the murder and gang rape of Eudy Simelane, a lesbian South African international footballer. Themba Mvubu (24) from KwaThema, was found guilty of murdering, robbing and being an accessory to the rape of 31-year-old Eudy Simelane. Activists at the magistrate's court in Delmas, Mpumalanga, hailed the judgement as "extremely important" in drawing attention to cases of murder and so-called "corrective rape" against lesbians in South Africa. Simelane was one of the first women to live openly as a lesbian in KwaThema township, near Johannesburg. A keen footballer since childhood, she played for the South African women's team and worked as a coach and referee. She hoped to serve as a line official in the Soccer World Cup in South Africa. But in April last year she was accosted while leaving a pub and robbed of her cellphone, trainers and cash. She died from wounds to the abdomen after being gang-raped and stabbed 12 times. Her naked body was dragged towards a stream and dumped. "Eudy Simelane suffered a brutal, undignified death," Judge Ratha Mokgoathleng told the court, where the victim's parents sat with heads bowed. "She was stripped naked, stabbed, assaulted, raped. What more indignity can a person endure?" He continued: "The accused has shown no remorse whatsoever. He steadfastly maintains he was not to blame for the death of the deceased. That is his right. It's painful to send a young person to jail, but if the young person behaves like an adult with criminal conduct, he cannot expect to hide behind his youthfulness." Mvubu, wearing a hooped brown and cream sweater, sat looking at the floor with hands behind his back for much of the hearing. Questioned by reporters, he muttered "I'm not sorry" as he was led from the dock to jeers from the public gallery. He was the second man convicted of the crime. Earlier this year Thato Mphithi pleaded guilty to murder, robbery and being an accomplice to the attempt to commit rape. He was imprisoned for a total of 32 years. Two more men, Khumbulani Magagula (22) and 18-year-old Johannes Mahlangu were acquitted today of their alleged part in the attack. "God will be their judge," said Judge Mokgoathleng. The most likely motive for the attack was that Simelane and her killers were known to each other, the judge added. "I'm told she was a famous athlete," he said. "It was an attempt to obliterate the evidence." At an early stage the court ruled out Simelane's sexual orientation as a motive in her killing. But lesbian political activists have regularly attended the hearings and welcomed the way it has raised awareness of their cause. Phumi Mtetwa, executive director of the Lesbian and Gay Equality Project, said: "This judgement is extremely important. It doesn't state that she was killed as a lesbian but because she was known. "How did people know her in the township? She was a soccer player who was 'butch' and was known. People are killed because of who they are." Simelane's mother, Mally (65) said: "I'm happy. I'm released. My life will come right again." - guardian.co.uk © Guardian News and Media 2009 TOPICS IN THIS ARTICLE
Comments
Once again the punishment is not in accordance with the crime - parole in 5 for this miscreant so he can do it again!
peter nel on September 23, 2009, 10:12 am
With much applause to this judgement which this monsters deserve and it sends a clear message to would-be killers of innocent people of our country but am much worried about the parole system of our country as Nel indicated that some few years down the line a person is free again .My plea is that let some of the laws be revisited to ensure that this monsters rot in jail.
johannes Indonesia nkosi on September 23, 2009, 10:25 am
We shouldnt be seen caring about these criminals, you see, the law should change regarding these criminals..You see the constitution is dynamic and not static, therfore it must change to adpat to the new era. We must then question the clause that says something like, life for all. You see ladies and gentlemen, this clause is out of date, as it was applicable for the transition from old to new. Now that we have a considerable amount of years in the new democracy, we must enforce new laws that protect civilians from criminals, and not a law that supports criminals.
America, seeing that people love this province practices the death penalty, and it is seen as a method dis-promoting crime. We must learn from countries that practice this ideology, and analyze the crime rates in these countries, for example Botswana, a future province of Republic of South Afica. The crime there is very very low, and we must learn from this. Yes there are those civilians that love and protect criminals with all thier hearts(heaven knows why), but this must change. Ladies and gentlemen, it is time to bring back the death penalty, as a method of dicouraging this crime that is out of control. We must hang or kill these sinners for thier inhumane deeds, because now these sinners, will enjoy the comfort of a bed, a meal a day, pocket money etc, and the poor woman, will enjoy an eternal rest. These people are wasting tax-payers money, and it is about time the government acts, by hanging these sinners one by one. But this will require a new generation of prisons with different functionalities, for example one type of prison should be built to cater for petty crimes, such as theft and fraud, and another should be built for just rapists, and for murders, the last type of prision should be built, to house the people, were the hanging devices and lethal injections will be housed. This way, a petty offence criminal wont be housed with murders and gays. But murdering these sinners that murder, must be killed, and to hell with the clause that says life to all. People like Johan Nel, should be hanged by the state, to discourage these inhumane acts. People that believe that people whom murder people should continue living, must show themselevs, so that we counsel their idiocy, because we all want to live in a crime less nation. I hope that Minister Nathi, and Comisinar Cele, do the right thing, to protect the citizens of our country from these mindless beasts.
Phenyo Modisane on September 23, 2009, 10:51 am
Death penalty to murderers and rapists.
Sinudeity @gmail.com on September 23, 2009, 11:02 am
"This way, a petty offence criminal wont be housed with murders and gays"
urm, gayness is on a par with murder now? (you do raise some valid points, but that ones a bit of a miss)
Ian mcintosh on September 23, 2009, 11:20 am
it is so disturbing that you find lunatics roaming around and not being given help.the only help that should be preached is acceptance that no one ever createdhim or herself therefore if there is any judgement to be passed let it be the creator. i especially feel pity for caster semenya what the hell did she do to deserve so much violation from the media and leaders who were supposed to protect her.
Bigman Peter Crutse on September 23, 2009, 11:38 am
Phenyo Modisane! You are a fool, Republic of Botswana is a soveriegn state, your frustration with your people stupiditly butchering each other, all of sudden you have wet dreams about the Republic of Botswana turning into a province of South Africa.
Its a shame that RSA has people such as you!!
Zola Mos on September 23, 2009, 11:53 am
Edward Heath, Conservative Prime Minister of Great Britain, was openly gay when he led the country in the '60s. Today, several MPs are openly gay and lesbian, as is Peter Mandelson ex-European Union Minister (MEP) and now financial adviser to Gordon Brown PM.
And all over Africa, many people are still in denial regarding homosexuality. They say it's the 'devil's work', that people choose to be evil, etc. In fact, it's a biological deviation which people are born with and can't help. In Brazil - and most of Latin America - a very macho society, gay men get married to keep face, have a wife and children and then go and pick up men in public toilets. This used to happen in the UK too, until the '60s/'70s, when the law against the practice of homosexuality was repealed. There was never a law against the practice of lesbianism in Britain because when it was made illegal for men during the reign of Queen Victoria, she refused to accept the possibility that women couldn't be crazy for men (because she was crazy for her husband Albert with whom she had 9 babies).
Shirene Fradet-Carim on September 23, 2009, 12:04 pm
This is one of those cases where i find the "eye for an eye" approach in Sharia Law rather appealing. Those bastards deserve to swing at the end of a rope!
Tony Marcus on September 23, 2009, 1:47 pm
Rapists and murderers is work for the nooseman.
Simple and easy. I always wonder why raise that the person was a lesbian or a homo or gay. What when a Heterosexual is murdered or raped by a GAY.Would it mean that the gay is anti Heterosexual. We are all human beings. I do not agree with people being gay that is why I am not gay but do treat the person any different. Nope
Eric Martinsich on September 23, 2009, 1:58 pm
Well done! Let criminals rot in Prison. South Africa has no place for criminals but to send them to Prison.
Mthokozisi Gumede on September 23, 2009, 2:13 pm
I agree with Sinudeity death penalty to murderers and rapists.
Louis on September 23, 2009, 4:33 pm
Zola Mos, after your brief moment of hysteria and wild panic, i must assure you, that im no fool, and i stoped having wet dreams, from the moment you started having them. Firtly it shows that you lack intellect, for you have missed my point tremendously, by bursting like a school girl, without content. At least had you made memtion of the topic at hand, i wouldnt have wasted my time replying to your childish outbursts. But i trust you can read, and i hope that this time you can understand what i am saying.
Mchana, in the long run, however i must say...we will indeed retain our province, and save it from the control of the british and our fellow americans. I only hope you will be there, with grey hair to witness it.
Phenyo Modisane on October 20, 2009, 4:04 am
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