Trial starts after 5 years

The trial of the men who killed Zoliswa Nkonyana finally starts today after being postponed 39 times.

Nkonyana, 19, was stabbed and stoned to death outside a shebeen in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, five years ago for being openly lesbian.

Nine men have been charged with her murder. The trial began on Wednesday in the Khayelitsha Regional Court. It was unexpectedly postponed to today.

No one would give a reasons for yet another delay. Nkonyana's mother was not in court - tired of the numerous postponements.

Activists from the Treatment Action Campaign, Triangle Project, Social Justice Coalition, and Free Gender, as well as residents of Khayelitsha, frustrated by yet another delay, picketed outside the court every time the nine accused appeared.

Funeka Soldaat, the founder of Free Gender, blamed the lengthy delays on shoddy police work.

Four of the nine accused escaped from custody while attending the trial but were re-arrested.

Another delay was caused by one of the accused denying that he had written a statement. Handwriting experts were called in to examine the statement.

"It's very bad. One cannot believe that, after five years, such petty issues could come up. Shoddy police work has led to these delays," she said.

"The lawyers have been challenging the way police have been handling the case."

On the night of February 4 2006, Nkonyana was at a shebeen in Khayelitsha and was told to use the men's toilet. When she refused and left, she was followed and stabbed by a group of men.

Ndumi Funda, director of gay rights group Luleki Sizwe said she had recently met Nkonyana's parents, who were still "traumatised" by the murder.

"These delays are totally unacceptable. I find them very unfair. I met Zoliswa's parents two weeks ago. They said they needed closure," said Funda.