麻豆约拍

In 1994 apartheid ended in South Africa and Nelson Mandela was elected president. He promised in his inauguration speech to 鈥渂uild a society in which all South Africans will be able to walk tall, without any fear in their hearts...a rainbow nation at peace with itself and the world.鈥� These promises were enshrined in South Africa鈥檚 post-apartheid constitution, the first in the world to outlaw all forms of discrimination.

In 1994 Motshidisi Pascalina Melamu was born, making her one of the first of the so-called 鈥榖orn free generation鈥�. Pasca, as she was known, dreamed of becoming a politician, and studied hard at school. She loved singing, dancing and football. And, Pasca was a lesbian.

In December last year, Pasca鈥檚 body was found in a field. She had been beaten and mutilated. She was one of three LGBTI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or intersex) people murdered in a six-week period last year. Hate crimes against the LGBTI community have long been a problem in South Africa, and the government has tried to tackle them. But activists say these recent crimes are just one sign that things are not getting better. James Fletcher travels to the townships south of Johannesburg to speak with Pasca鈥檚 family and friends, and to ask whether the government is failing LGBTI South Africans.

(Photo: Betty Melamu holds a picture of her daughter Pascalina, who was murdered in December last year)