Bulelwa Hoala

President Cyril Ramaphosa has paid tribute to Muhsin Hendricks, the openly gay Imam who was gunned down in Gqeberha on Saturday, 15 February 2025.
This follows the brutal murder of the 58-year-old in a hail of bullets just hours before he was allegedly going to marry a lesbian couple.
“I offer my deep condolences to the family, friends and fellow activists of Imam Muhsin Hendricks whose life was brutally ended by gunmen in Gqeberha this past weekend.
“While we await the outcome of investigations, I am concerned about the reported likelihood of this being a hate crime against a religious leader who championed the rights and protection of LGBTQ+ Muslims and compatriots more broadly. Like all South Africans, I anticipate that the perpetrators will be brought to book for this heinous attack,” Ramaphosa said on X.
The Ahmed Kathrada Foundation have also released a statement in which they send their condolences to Hendricks’ family and community at large.
“We are deeply concerned that, in 2025, acts of intolerance and homophobia continue to threaten lives, here and in many parts of the world. Such violence is not an isolated incident; it reflects a broader pattern of hostility that must be confronted and dismantled. We firmly condemn it,” the statement reads.
Hendricks, who was from Cape Town, was considered to be the world’s first openly gay Imam.
His murder has shocked the LGBTQ+ community with many labelling it a hate crime.
The BBC reports that Hendricks came out as gay in 1996 and founded an organisation called The Inner Circle which provided support for gay and other marginalised Muslims.
He was killed at around 10AM in Haley Place, Extension 24, Bethelsdorp after the VW TRoc he was travelling in was accosted by two masked suspects driving a silver Hilux double cab.
In a video of the CCTV footage posted on X, the two suspects can be seen emerging from the Hilux double cab and proceed to fire multiple shots at the VW TRoc before fleeing the scene.
The Citizen says the case was reported at Saps Bethelsdorp and while the motive for the murder is unknown at this stage, investigations are ongoing.
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