2019 has ended on a tragic note for the LGBTQ+ community after 25-year-old Portia Simphiwe Mtshweni was murdered and mutilated in Tweefontein, Mpumalanga.

According to a SAPS statement, her half-naked body was discovered by members of the public near Zamani Primary School on Saturday morning.

“The body of this woman, who has since been identified as Simphiwe Mtshweni, was found with multiple stab wounds. The medical personnel were also summoned to the scene where the victim was certified dead,” said the police. The murder scene was described as gruesome, with reports that body parts, such as Simphiwe’s breasts, had been removed. It is also suspected by community members that she was raped.

As with previous similar incidents, the brutality of the attack suggests that the young woman was the victim of a hate crime, likely killed – at least in part – because of her sexuality. Activist Mpumelelo Mayisela, who knew Simphiwe as a family friend, confirmed to MambaOnline that she identified as lesbian and was known as such in the community. Read more via Mamba