Hate and homicide: The murder of Noxolo Nogwaza

Explicit content warning

07/01/21 • 28 min

Today I’m talking about hate crimes and homophobia in South Africa. For this episode, we are traveling to KwaThema, a township in Gauteng. There is electricity in kwathema, but there are also these huge towering spotlight-style street lights. They’re lifted that high to try provide a measure of light and security, but there are always bits the light doesn’t reach. And it was in a patch of deep shadow, in an alley between buildings that a woman called Noxolo Nogwaza was killed in April 2011. Noxolo – which means peace in Zulu - was just 24. She was a mum to two small kids, and she lived with her gran Vuyelwa. She loved soccer, and kwaito music. And, she just so happened to be gay – and it was this fact that made her the target of violent homophobes.

Music by Matt Riggen:

https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=APy4JmdZRj8&list=RDAMVMAPy4JmdZRj8

https://www.amazon.com/An-Afterlife-for-Noxolo-Nogwaza/dp/B075BHNLDM

https://open.spotify.com/album/6szYBqJ2QLPyZilbB57Z3S?highlight=spotify:track:3zwt18c7a6EiKhc62so6nj

Sian Green Psychology: https://sgpsychology.co.za/

SOURCES

· http://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/interactive/2013/07/26/opinion/26corrective-rape.html

· https://inkanyiso.org/2013/05/06/2013-may-6-archiving-noxolo-nogwazas-funeral/

· https://kemptonexpress.co.za/270983/ekurhuleni-pride-to-be-hosted-in-tembisa/

· https://open.spotify.com/show/3FvJkU9NUNNKGRoTUgNDwr

· https://outrightinternational.org/content/call-action-against-brutal-rape-and-murder-south-african-lesbian-noxolo-nogwaza

· https://wazimap.co.za/profiles/ward-79700074-ekurhuleni-ward-74-79700074/

· https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/campaigns/2013/04/two-years-on-no-justice-for-hate-crime-in-south-africa/

· https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2012/10/blog-south-africas-townships-still-not-safe-gay-lesbian-and-transgender-people/

· https://www.hrw.org/node/242800/printable/print

· https://www.iol.co.za/the-star/no-progress-in-corrective-rape-probe-1284429

· https://www.latimes.com/world/la-xpm-2011-may-27-la-fg-south-africa-gay-killings-20110528-story.html

· https://www.pride.com/soapbox/south-african-lesbian-activist-murdered

· https://www.researchgate.net/publication/311717843_What_is_wrong_with_'Corrective_Rape'

· https://www.thedailyvox.co.za/four-years-on-still-no-justice-for-noxolo/

Music by Matt Riggen:

https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=APy4JmdZRj8&list=RDAMVMAPy4JmdZRj8

https://www.amazon.com/An-Afterlife-for-Noxolo-Nogwaza/dp/B075BHNLDM

https://open.spotify.com/album/6szYBqJ2QLPyZilbB57Z3S?highlight=spotify:track:3zwt18c7a6EiKhc62so6nj

Sian Green Psychology: https://sgpsychology.co.za/

SOURCES

· http://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/interactive/2013/07/26/opinion/26corrective-rape.html

· https://inkanyiso.org/2013/05/06/2013-may-6-archiving-noxolo-nogwazas-funeral/

· https://kemptonexpress.co.za/270983/ekurhuleni-pride-to-be-hosted-in-tembisa/

· https://open.spotify.com/show/3FvJkU9NUNNKGRoTUgNDwr

· https://outrightinternational.org/content/call-action-against-brutal-rape-and-murder-south-african-lesbian-noxolo-nogwaza

· https://wazimap.co.za/profiles/ward-79700074-ekurhuleni-ward-74-79700074/

· https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/campaigns/2013/04/two-years-on-no-justice-for-hate-crime-in-south-africa/

· https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2012/10/blog-south-africas-townships-still-not-safe-gay-lesbian-and-transgender-people/

· https://www.hrw.org/node/242800/printable/print

· https://www.iol.co.za/the-star/no-progress-in-corrective-rape-probe-1284429

· https://www.latimes.com/world/la-xpm-2011-may-27-la-fg-south-africa-gay-killings-20110528-story.html

· https://www.pride.com/soapbox/south-african-lesbian-activist-murdered

· https://www.researchgate.net/publication/311717843_What_is_wrong_with_'Corrective_Rape'

· https://www.thedailyvox.co.za/four-years-on-still-no-justice-for-noxolo/

Previous Episode

Minisode: Leigh Matthews killer wants parole

25 June 2021 - Earlier this week news broke that convicted murderer Donovan Moodley is applying for parole. Donovan was convicted for the kidnapping and murder of Leigh Matthews, which was the subject of episode one of It Happened Here, so if you haven’t yet done so, give that a listen so you have a good idea just how cold, remorseless, and twisted Donovan is.

This is a brief update on what he family had to say about this development.

· Cape Talk: https://www.capetalk.co.za/articles/419964/what-would-it-achieve-leigh-matthews-family-won-t-meet-with-killer-they-say

· ENCA: https://www.enca.com/news/leigh-matthews-father-says-donovan-moodley-has-shown-no-remorse

· Scielo: http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1727-37812011000500005

· The citizen 1: https://citizen.co.za/news/opinion/opinion-editorials/2544198/leigh-matthews-donovan-moodley-parole-process-overhaul/

· The Citizen 2: https://citizen.co.za/news/2544149/it-gets-easier-but-it-doesnt-go-away-says-leigh-matthews-grieving-father/

· Wikipedia:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_imprisonment_in_South_Africa

· Wits justice Project: http://www.witsjusticeproject.co.za/news-and-insights-category/10-things-to-know-about-parole-in-south-africa

· WMACA facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WMACAKidz/

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Next Episode

Death en suite: Susan Rohde

It’s 2016, July 24th, and the receptionist on duty of Spier Hotel has just taken a call from a guest in need of a maintenance man. Spier is a four-star hotel, positioned on one of the country’s oldest wine farms. Maintenance work Desmond Daniels responds to the call, and at this moment, of the lock turning, two versions of the story splinter off. What maintenance man Desmond and husband Jason describe on the other side of the bathroom door was either a tragic suicide by a distraught and heartbroken woman, or the deliberate murder and cover up by her scheming husband.

Sources:

· https://www.timeslive.co.za/sunday-times/news/2017-11-11-if-words-could-kill-the-rohdes-chilling-whatsapp-warfare/

· https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/south-africa/2017-11-21-rohdes-defence-relates-how-he-hit-his-wife-susan/

· https://www.news24.com/news24/southafrica/news/rohdes-wifes-family-prejudged-and-ostracised-him-court-hears-20171102

· https://www.news24.com/news24/southafrica/news/just-in-convicted-wife-killer-jason-rohdes-appeal-will-be-heard-on-16-august-20210621

· https://www.news24.com/news24/SouthAfrica/News/jason-rohde-told-his-wife-he-was-done-with-their-marriage-hours-before-she-was-found-dead-20180528

· https://www.news24.com/news24/SouthAfrica/News/jason-rohde-arrested-for-wifes-murder-20160823

· https://www.magzter.com/stories/Entertainment/YOU-South-Africa/Murdered-Mom-Remembered

· https://www.iol.co.za/weekend-argus/news/mom-of-slain-susan-rohde-struggling-to-mourn-support-grandkids-18433664

· https://www.iol.co.za/news/chilling-details-of-rohde-murder-2061590

· https://www.iol.co.za/capeargus/news/sotheby-bosss-wifes-death-a-suicide-pathologist-2060984

· https://shakedowntitle.com/2018/08/10/according-to-brendan-miller-susan-rohde-was-calm-shortly-before-her-death/