Western Cape premier Peter Marais’ anti-homosexual statements are ”his
personal view”, the New National Party (NNP) said on Monday.
The African National Congress (ANC), the NNP’s coalition partner in the
province, said that while it did not necessarily agree with Marais, it
respected his right to voice his opinions.
They were commenting on Marais’ claim at the weekend that a ”gay lobby” in
the Democratic Alliance (DA) was seeking to destroy him because of his
attacks on homosexuals.
”They want to attack my image as a Christian by attaching sleaze to me so
that this will make my argument against homosexuals less credible,” he was
quoted as saying.
Marais made the claim after three more women went public with complaints of
sexual harassment against him, in the wake of a lawsuit by his NNP colleague
Dr Audrey van Zyl.
NNP national executive director Renier Shoeman said on Monday the NNP
subscribed to the constitutional provision that the state should not
unfairly discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation.
The party dealt with the issue of gay and lesbian rights in the same way as
the death penalty, prostitution and the decriminalisation of dagga, allowing
its public representatives a free vote.
”Mr Marais has expressed his personal view on the matter,” Schoeman said.
”He is under an orchestrated attack by the Democratic Alliance and has
conveyed his impressions of who is driving this process against him.”
ANC Western Cape secretary Mcebisi Skwatsha said in a statement that even
though his party did not necessarily agree with Marais, it respected his
right to voice his opinions.
Skwatsha said the agreement between the ANC and the NNP allowed for
differences, and differences did exist.
”Premier Marais is therefore entitled to his opinions. Fortunately all party
political and personal opinions are subject to the Constitution… and we
have no doubt that the premier’s respect for the Constitution is
undiminished.”
The party’s provincial working committee is expected to discuss the
allegations against Marais when it meets on Monday night.
Representative Gert Witbooi said the party would issue a further statement
after the meeting.
”Whatever allegations have been levelled against Mr Marais, the ANC wants to
ensure that the provincial government continues its programmes of service
delivery and remains stable,” he said.
A gay lobby group has called on Marais to apologise for his statements.
”It will be right for Marais to retract such comments and deal with the
sexual allegations levelled against him,” said Duncan Andrew, representative
for the Cape Town-based Triangle Project.
Andrew said it was highly unlikely that any political organisation would
allow a group of its members to plot against someone purely on the basis of
sexual orientation.
”Marais is a desperate man, throwing up anything he can to deflect from the
real issue. As a man of his stature he should apologise,” he said.
Earlier, the DA’s acting chief executive in the Western Cape, Robin Carlisle
said there was no homosexual pressure group in the DA, nor was there any
other group pressuring its leadership to go after Marais.
”The DA considers Marais’ homophobic statements to be in direct
contradiction to constitutional clauses which guarantee equality to all
citizens including those whose sexual preferences may differ from his own,”
he said.
”When Marais was appointed premier of this province, he swore an oath to
defend the Constitution. He is now in breach of that oath.”
Carlisle said Marais’ ”expressed sexual bigotry and intolerance” lent
credence to the claims of those who brought allegations against him.
He said Marais’ claim that the DA had incited women to make allegations
against him and had offered to pay their legal costs was without any truth.
Marais would know that it would be against the law for the DA to drive a
legal matter in which it had no personal interests.
If he had any evidence to this effect, he should immediately make it
available to the authorities so that the law could take its course. – Sapa