Africa-Press – South-Africa. After being mum on homophobic comments made by DA federal chairperson Helen Zille, the party has now condemned Al Jama-ah spokesperson’s, advocate Shameemah Salie, for her crude remarks about the LGBTQ+ community.
Speaking on behalf of the party, in a Newzroom Afrika interview on Wednesday, Salie accused the LGBTQ+ community of imposing their beliefs on and influencing society.
During the interview, Salie was responding to Al Jama-ah’s statement in which the party rejected the inclusion of the community in the parliamentary process on the White Paper on family life.
She said she had no issue with the “minority” group enforcing their beliefs and narratives in their personal capacity, however, she rejected the notion of them sharing it with the general public.
The advocate also insinuated homosexual people were conflicted with themselves, stating her religious beliefs did not condone nor conform “to the standards of the LGBTQ+ community”.
“They have an internal difficulty and war within themselves as to how they perceive themselves, and in their insecurity, they are trying to put their agenda onto others; that I cannot accept,” said Salie.
Slamming her remarks, DA national spokesperson Solly Malatsi released a statement on Thursday, advocating for “unity, respect, and embracing our diverse society”.
Following the stance taken by Al Jama-ah, Malatsi said going into the national elections in 2024, South Africans have a “critical choice” to make on who to vote for.
The statement read: “South Africans now face a critical choice between those who perpetuate hate and division and those who advocate for a country where we work together, respecting and tolerating one another.
“This choice is between a future under the ANC and its allies like Al-Jama-ah that have shown a tendency to exploit divisions, and a future under the DA that upholds the values of inclusivity, equality, and hope.”
Malatsi called on party leader Ganief Hendricks and City of Johannesburg Mayor Kabelo Gwamanda to clarify if they “endorsed” and agreed with the statements made by Salie.
He said: “It is essential for political leaders to take a clear stance on issues of tolerance, inclusivity, and nation building.”
Malatsi’s comments have, however, could be construed as being ironic, considering the party’s silence on the “queerphobic” comments made by Zille.
In April, she received backlash for a controversial tweet and was asked by the OUT LGBT Well-being organisation to clarify her response to a post by John James.
Zille had commented on a post by James where he alleged American transgender actress and social media personality Dylan Mulvaney was a “gay man pretending to be trans for cash and fame”.
Responding to this, she said: “Is it now considered insufficiently ‘woke’ to be merely gay? Must you be transgender to gain access to the inner sanctum of the ‘tribe’?
“And must you, in the process, trash and stereotype all women, eradicating the progress they have made to achieve equality over half a century?”
News24 had made several attempts to get comments from the DA following the tweet, but neither Zille nor Malatsi responded nor did the party release a statement condemning the comments by its federal leader.
Meanwhile, another party that is facing a backlash for its hypocrisy around its stance on the LGBTQ+ community is the EFF.
=Lumumba has been forthcoming about his support for the Ugandan Anti-Homosexuality Act, which has enabled the persecution of LQBTGI+ members, which includes a 20 years to life prison sentence.
This even though the party has been vocal about its criticism of the act and has even held a picket outside the Ugandan Embassy in protest.
Responding to criticism in a tweet posted on Tuesday, EFF leader Julius Malema said: “You don’t censor a different opinion on your platforms simply because you disagree. Allowing different views makes a discourse even more exciting.”
For More News And Analysis About South-Africa Follow Africa-Press
