Eight people have been charged with the brutal rape and murder of a lesbian couple.
South African spouses Joey van Niekerk, 32, and Anisha van Niekerk, 30, went missing on December 10, after leaving home for a funeral.
They never arrived at the burial in Pretoria, and an appeal was launched after they didn’t come back to their home in Mooinooi, in the north-east of the country.
Their burned-out car was found six days after they left home – and on December 28, bones thought to be theirs were discovered along a road near the couple’s home town.
Joey and Anisha had been married for three years.
The accused have been charged with two counts of murder, rape, kidnapping, robbery, unlawful possession of firearm and defeating the course of justice, the African News Agency has reported.
The eight who will face trial on Thursday are Aaron Sithole, 23, Koos Strydom, 53, Jack Mokotedi, 18, Alex Mudau, 36, Moses Rakubu, 33, Vincent Strydom, 29, Maruschka Opperman, 18, and Mercia Witney Van Rooi, 21.
Wynand van Niekerk, Anisha’s brother, wrote on Facebook that the last few weeks had been “a nightmare”.
In April last year, lesbian Nonkie Smous was raped, murdered and set on fire in a case which shocked the country.
After her death, LGBT people in South Africa were warned that they faced unprecedented levels of violence.
Cindy Maotoana, who chairs an LGBT group in Limpopo, said her community was being targeted – especially lesbians, many of whom have been so-called ‘corrective raped’.
Maotoana said: “LGBTI [people] are hiding because they are scared of being raped and being brutally burned…so we are here asking support from the province.”
Speaking in May, she added: “Nothing is wrong with us. We do not need to be killed.
She pleaded that her sexuality “does not mean someone has to rape and kill me or even burn me.
“Can you imagine someone being burned alive? It is not good what they are doing to us.”
Speaking in December, Smous’s friend Nthabiseng Mokanyane said: “Since Nonkie’s death, people feel they can get away with everything.
“Women identifying as butch lesbians are particularly singled out – being harassed for thinking they are ‘men’ and being threatened about the need to be ‘taught they are women’.”
Earlier this month, 23-year-old lesbian Noxolo Xakeka was murdered in a homophobic attack.