Two individuals age 24 and 35 have been arrested and will appear in the Athlone Magistrate Court on Monday March 16, on murder charges for the brutal murder of Adnaan Davids whose body was found in a veld next to a mattress near the N2 highway.
Police spokesperson Captain FC van Wyk said the 30-year-old was stabbed to death in Athlone on Tuesday March 3. It’s understood that he was found with more than 20 stab wounds all over his body and face, inflicted by a pair of scissors found at the scene. Davids was also found with a long stick shoved up his
rectum.
According to the Daily Voice, Davids was an openly gay individual and was popular for occasionally entertaining as a drag queen. It’s believed that the Athlone man was embroiled in an argument regarding a stolen phone for which he was threatened by men in the area with murder and rape.
“He grew up here in Bokmakierie and since small he was always gay,” says a 40-year-old relative, who asked not to be named. “He was very outgoing and his family accepted him as he was, even though people made fun of him.
“On Sunday there was an argument about a stolen phone and Adnaan told me to stay out of it. The phone was returned but someone threatened to rape and kill him”.
Davids was “lured” out of his home and never returned. His brutal murder has all the hallmarks of a hate crime.
“I knew him for years as a very flamboyant and open person,” says LGBTQI+ activist, Lesley van Rooyen, who explains how devastated she is by the “hate crime”.
“We are devastated by his death and we believe the manner in which he was killed shows this is a hate
crime. We just celebrated the annual Cape Town Pride Festival (last week) which sends a message to the
communities that as gay people, we are happy and free.
“But this incident sends a strong message that they are not done with us. For me it is very scary”.
“We can no longer sit idly by and focus exclusively on the scourge of gender-based violence and violence
toward children, but must also start to sharpen the focus of LGBTQI violence and hate crimes,” said the
DA’s Metro LGBTQI group in Cape Town.
“We are all equal before the Constitution and all have the same rights to be kept safe, and free of
discrimination. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Davids family, and we will be reaching out to the
local councillor to see how and if we can assist”.
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