On 2 February 2022, OUT LGBT Well-being attended the court appearance of the man accused of murdering Andile ‘Lulu’ Nthuthela, a 41-year-old member of the LGBTIQ community.
Lulu’s mutilated body was found in a shallow grave at the house of the man arrested for his murder on 10 April 2021 in KwaNobuhle, Kariega, in the Eastern Cape.
Lerato Phalakatshela, OUT’s Human Rights Manager, was among those who called for justice for Lulu at the KwaNobuhle Magistrates Court, wearing Justice4Lulu t-shirts and holding placards and rainbow flags.
Due to the seriousness of the matter, the case was moved to the Regional Court in Kariega and postponed to 15 February. The accused was also sent for examination to assess if he is mentally fit to stand trial.
“The mental examination will be conducted over 30 days, which means the case will most likely be postponed again,” said Phalakatshela. “This means that justice will most likely be delayed, again.”
Phalakatshela also noted that the magistrate made no mention of DNA samples taken at the scene of the crime in his update of the case, raising concerns that this may not form part of the trial for some reason.
“OUT will continue to monitor the case and we’ll be sure to find out what the status is of the DNA samples,” said Phalakatshela.
Lulu was one of the 24 known LGBTIQ individuals murdered in South Africa in 2021.