A 26 year-old openly gay woman from Swaziland, was brutally murdered with an axe in a homophobic attack.

The victim, Kaylo Glover, was in a bar with some friends on the night of March 15 in the her hometown of Nhlangano, Swaziland. Witnesses say that a man was “furious” that there was a group of lesbians in the same bar as he was, so he left, retrieved an axe from his car and returned.

The attacker then drove the blade of the axe directly into Glover’s back, before reportedly shouting, “let’s finish off these dogs”.

The group promptly left the bar to rush their friend to the hospital, however Glover bled out and was pronounced dead on arrival.

The woman, who was said to be very popular in her community, leaves behind her loving mother and girlfriend.

“They killed her because she was a lesbian. She has never harmed anyone, or fought with anyone,” said her mother to local news.

Sane Mshengu, the director of Rock of Hope, a Swaziland based healthcare charity, said: “We don’t know what to make of these murders, it is so disturbing and scary.

“Swaziland comprises mainly of traditional family structures, with extended families marked by a set of strong traditions and norms. Speaking about being lesbian, gay, or transgender is very difficult and is often suppressed.”

Glover is the second LGBT person to be murdered in the town of Nhlangano this year. Currently, homosexual acts between men is illegal and is punishable by death penalty. However, there are no laws that prohibit two women from having sex in the African country.