Lonwabo Jack, a 22-year-old gay man, was recently murdered in Cape Town, South Africa, making him the 4th known LGBTQ+ person to have been violently killed in the country this month alone. Local police told IOL that Jack died from stab wounds, and was likely raped before his death as his shorts had been removed. No suspects have been identified as of yet.
His father, Mzwabantu, said he was last seen on April 17 before going out to celebrate his birthday. He described Jack as “a nice kid” who was “always surrounded by his friends”. He added: “It’s heartbreaking to give birth to a child and also bury them, especially because he was never sick.”
Jack’s death came shortly after the murders of three other gay men in South Africa: Andile “Lulu” Ntuthela, Sphamandla Khoza, and Nathaniel Mbele. One day prior to Jack’s murder, a demonstration was held outside the House of Parliament in Cape Town to demand greater protections for the LGBTQ+ community.
LGBTQ+ activist Tutu Zondo, who took part in the protest, said on social media that it was held in memory of “all LGBTQ+ lives that have been ended too soon because of hate & bigotry”, adding: “It’s time for our voices to be heard – it’s time that something is done.”
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