Crackdown on homophobic cops

11 Feb 2008- South Africa - The National Inspectorate of the SAPS will take "decisive action" against police officers who mock or intimidate gay people who try to report homophobic crimes.

The Triangle Project earlier complained that gay complainants were not taken seriously by prejudiced police officers.

National police spokesperson Selby Bokaba said any homophobic behaviour "goes against the ethos of the organisation".

On February 4 the Joint Working Group, which consists of human rights and gay rights organisations, launched the Alliance for Campaign 07-07-07.

The name refers to the murder, on July 7 last year, of two lesbians - Sizakele Sigasa and Salome Massoa - in Soweto. February 4 is also the anniversary of Khayelitsha lesbian Zoliswa Nonkonyane's murder by a mob of about 20 men in 2006.

These cases remain unsolved.

Triangle Project director Vanessa Ludwig said if gay people told police that they had been assaulted or raped because of their orientation, this information "is not noted down in dockets".

Some health workers also refused to assist lesbians who had been raped, Ludwig said.

Constitutional lawyer and University of the Western Cape lecturer Pierre de Vos said "police officers laugh at them and tell them they are perverts (who) cannot complain to the police". - Natasha Joseph Social bookmarking allows users to save and categorise a personal collection of bookmarks and share them with others. This is different to using your own browser bookmarks which are available using the menus within your web browser.

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