By Mr Gay World 2011, Francois Nel and Coenie Kukkuk - Director Operations Mr. Gay South Africa (Pty) Ltd.

It has now been reported in the media that a fifth gay man, Manolis Veloudos, has met his end in a gruesome and eerily similar manner as four others in Gauteng, the fourth victim being Barney van Heerden, a friend of the first writer hereof.

Recently, a Hate Crimes Task Team was established by the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development to investigate murders, rape and attacks on LGBTI people.

We herewith join Ndumi Funda, the director of Luleki Sizwe, an organisation that rescues, supports, nurses, feeds and campaigns for LGBTI people in Cape Town’s black townships and rural areas, when she said at a recent workshop on these same issues set up by the Helen Suzman Foundation and at which the Deputy Minister, Andries Nel was present, that the time for talk is over and the time of action is now.

It is incredibly alarming that 15 years after the birth of our progressive constitution, the LGTBI community still suffers under hate crimes prevalent in our society - the need and the urge is clear: we need more than what we have on paper, we need protection. We would like to reiterate the words of Pieter Cilliers: "The gay community will stay a marginalised one until more heterosexual allies join in the struggle for equal rights and protection against hate crimes".

Our people are being killed and we call on the Minister and this Task Team to act and to act now.