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Various Civil Society Organisations have called on the South African government to withdraw a homophobic statement made by SA representative at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva 16 June 2010 ,calling it “insensitive” to the persecution of Lesbian Gays, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex (LGBTI) people and contrary to South Africa’s constitution which is opposes discrimination.
Speaking at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva 16 June 2010, in a discussion on a report by the Special Rappoteur on Racism, Jerry Matjila said that to protect gay people “demeans the legitimate plight of the victims of racism.”
“Matjila’s stance is insensitive to the persecution of LGBTI people this persecution seems to be on the rise in several countries on the continent, with a growing number of hate crimes and violence against LGBTI’s in South Africa itself. Matjila’s stance is a tacit endorsement of this persecution”, reads the statement by the Civil Society Organisations.
“We reject the assertion that upholding equality and dignity for LGBTI’s in any way detracts from or “demeans” other plights, as a broad range of civil society organisations, we are profoundly disturbed by the nature, content and potential impact of the homophobic stance taken by Jerry Matjila”,adds the statement.
Meanwhile South Africa’s constitution states that “the state may not unfairly discriminate directly or indirectly against anyone on one or more grounds, including race, gender, sex, pregnancy, marital status, ethnic or social origin, colour, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, conscience, belief, culture, language and birth.”
The statement further reiterates the Civil Society Organisations “stance to commit themselves to mobilise the LGBTI community, the rest of civil society and progressive social forces to take public action to challenge and condemn government’s consistent homophobic sentiments at the UN and in other international fora.”
According to the Civil Society Organisations this is the latest “in a string of problematic actions by South African representatives in international forums such as the UN and this includes South Africa’s failure to support the December 2008 UN General Assembly Joint Statement on Human Rights, Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity and South Africa’s vote to remove sexual orientation from the grounds of unlawful killings in the UN General Assembly Resolution on Extrajudicial Executions.”
Meanwhile the appointment of Jon Qwelane as the new High Commissioner in Uganda has been also been widely condemned by Gay rights groups saying it “shows an utter disregard for LGBTI people in South Africa and Uganda at a time when that country is proposing on the most draconian pieces of anti-gay legislation in the world.”
“We call on the government to immediately and permanently distance themselves from the unconstitutional comments made by Matjila, and to withdraw the statement as that representing South Africa’s official position to the UN Human Rights Committee.
“We call on the ruling party and government to consistently and openly speak out and act against homophobia and all forms of oppression.
To do so is not a luxury but an absolute necessity as government is required to promote, respect and advance the rights in our Constitution” concludes the statement.
This entry was posted on Friday, July 23rd, 2010 at 10:56 am and is filed under Breaking News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Funny that, I always thought that the SA Government was meant to fight agains…t ALL previous discrimination ~ or does one have to be a heterosexual, card-carrying member of the ANC to fit the “previously disadvantaged”
Mr Matjila, the South African Constitution reads:
Chapter 2 Bill of Rights
7. Rights
(1) This Bill of Rights is a cornerstone of democracy in South Africa. It enshrines the rights of all people in our country and affirms the democratic values of human dignity, equality and freedom.
(2) The state must respect, protect, promote and fulfil the rights in the Bill of Rights.
8. Application
(1) The Bill of Rights applies to all law, and binds the legislature, the executive, the judiciary and all organs of state.
(2) A provision of the Bill of Rights binds a natural or a juristic person if, and to the extent that, it is applicable, taking into account the nature of the right and the nature of any duty imposed by the right
9. Equality
(1) Everyone is equal before the law and has the right to equal protection and benefit of the law.
(2) Equality includes the full and equal enjoyment of all rights and freedoms. To promote the achievement of equality, legislative and other measures designed to protect or advance persons, or categories of persons, disadvantaged by unfair discrimination may be taken.
(3) The state may not unfairly discriminate directly or indirectly against anyone on one or more grounds, including race, gender, sex, pregnancy, marital status, ethnic or social origin, colour, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, conscience, belief, culture, language and birth.
(4) No person may unfairly discriminate directly or indirectly against anyone on one or more grounds in terms of subsection (3). National legislation must be enacted to prevent or prohibit unfair discrimination.
You, Mr Matjila, are nothing more than a BIGOT!!!!