A spate of particularly violent homophobic hate crimes over the last month, including the brutal murder of Thapelo Makutle, has called the attention of Democratic Alliance Parliamentary Leader, Lindiwe Mazibuko. Mazibuko released a press statement on the DA website calling on President Jacob Zuma to speak out against Makutle's murder, Makutle having had his throat cut and genitals removed. Included in the statement was a commitment by Mazibuko to initiate debate in Parliament regarding the prevalence of these crimes in South Africa and how government could address the problem.