It's a sombre Monday morning when members and allies of the LGBTQIA community arrive at the Johannesburg Magistrate's Court.
“Why are you subscribing to a gay dating app, when you are not gay?” are they are chanting through a handheld megaphone while leading the crowd of other members of the community, allies and the Joburg safety brigade who say their presence is important for the victims.
The people from whom they want the answer are Sanele Ndlovu, Vikani Khanyeza, Sohollo Khumalo, Sphamandla Mavundla, Lungisani Shabalala, Thulani Mazibuko and Khayelihle Zulu. These men are facing charges of kidnapping, attempted murder and extortion appeared.
The seven men from the Denver hostel became known as the Denver Seven or Grindr 7 Gang after they were arrested in September 2023 for allegedly targeting gays and transwomen on the LGBTQI+ dating app, Grindr, and kidnapping them.
Read more | Activist Yaya Mavundla believes more than 87 queer people have been victims of 'Grindr Gang'
They had appeared in court last Tuesday and their matter was postponed to Monday, 12 February 2024, for an identity parade. At their brief appearance on Monday, the matter is postponed to March for an identity parade and for legal aid to appoint legal representatives for accuseds 1-4.
The Grindr Gang is accused of depriving alleged victim and complainant, Ayabonga Maphumulo, of his freedom of movement from 19 to 20 September 2023, allegedly binding his hands and feet and keeping with rope then locking him in a room. They then allegedly hit him with an object unknown to the state. Ayabonga is a Wits student who recently got out of the hospital and is ready to identify his alleged perpetrators which will be the last leg of the state’s investigation.
The gang had members of their families and girlfriends present in the courtroom who thought the case was useless. “This whole thing is a waste of time,” says one of the girlfriends as the matter adjourned.
But activist and socialite Yaya Mavundla says this is one of the important cases, and that is why she comes to court on every appearance. She says there has been good progress on the matter, but it could’ve been faster.
“If the perpetrators were caught on the scene, what more does the court need? Why does the victim have to go and identify them again? We will wait for the next appearance to see how much more investigations they need. I am hoping this is the last time we have to come for the same thing.”
She says she is present in court to support the victims because most of the time members of LGBTQI+ who experience traumatic incidents do not have families that support them.
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“It is important for the victims to see that there are people who support them. Especially with this case, the moment it was in the news, the families were sceptical to go ahead. It means that if one pushed for this matter to see its day in court, the case would’ve fallen on deaf ears. We must be here all the time so that when it happens that the victim comes, he will see that he has support. It is great that he is out of ICU and hospital and if he is needed, he can be available. I hope that he gets strength because most of the time people become scared.”
She says she received so many messages from people expressing that they are demotivated because of how they were treated at the police station and also the families told them that they didn’t want anything associated with "gayness".
“I am hoping that with this case justice will be served, and a lot of people come forward and open cases. Because this is not the first incident and there are a lot more victims out there who are scared to open a case.”
