/ 13 May 2002

Marais’ anti-gay views his own – NNP

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