Friends and family members gathered at Kgaphamadi village outside Grobelersdal in Limpopo, to mourn and pay their last respects to Refiloe Malope, who was murdered, allegedly because she was lesbian.
Malope was kidnapped from her home in early May, and her body discovered in a disused mine shaft in Benoni in Gauteng, several weeks later.
Watch: Refiloe Malope (28) from Limpopo who was abducted and murdered is buried
Gauteng based police officer Moses Mokoana, (40) and his accomplice, Maxwell Mokoana (42) who are related, were arrested and remanded in custody for the incident.
Residents say they witnessed how the two men allegedly forcefully removed her from her house and shoved her into the boot of a vehicle in broad daylight.
A month after her abduction, a police search unit retrieved her body from a disused mine shaft in Benoni. Her family says she was killed because she was a lesbian.
Deeply broken
They believe that there’s a syndicate behind the incident. Family Spokesperson Shiela Masemola-Malatjie says they are devastated and deeply broken.
“…We are frustrated actually at the manner in which things are happening in this country, it shows that there is no place that is safe- where somebody can be abducted just like that.” she adds.
The bereaved family believes the two suspects did not act alone. Masemola-Malatjie says they want justice to prevail.
She explains, “We are calling for justice, we don’t believe that these two who have been arrested and that they are the only two people that have to be arrested. We still need to ask for the laws of this country that they should show themselves out.”
Protection for LGBTQI community
Members of the LGBTQI community also came to mourn one of their own. Local LGBTQI convener, Kuthulakwenkosi Mavimbela has called on government to protect the LGBTQI community.
“If we had justice 100%- I am sure that Refiloe would still be alive, but because we don’t have a government we don’t have justice, that’s why we are here to bury our sister to bury our brother.” he adds.
Meanwhile, the two murder accused are expected to apply for bail in the Nebo Magistrate’s Court on Thursday.
EFF members who attended the funeral service, say they will protest outside the Court to oppose bail.
