Democratic Alliance chief whip Douglas Gibson on Wednesday disagreed with one of his MPs when he contended that the DA is not actively campaigning for the lesbian and gay vote in the April elections.
Gibson and gay MP Mike Waters were responding to a statement from the Gay and Lesbian Alliance (GLA), which touts itself as the Independent Electoral Commission-registered lesbian and gay political voice of South Africa.
”It is a fallacy that there is in reality a gay vote … gay South Africans are citizens, are voters right across the political spectrum,” said Gibson.
He said the DA is not ”targeting” the gay vote, but is canvassing across all fronts.
Gibson said the DA has no coalition or alliance with the GLA, or with any other party except the Inkatha Freedom Party and the Federal Alliance.
”There is no definite relationship with the GLA and the DA,” he said, adding that as far as he was concerned the DA is a registered political party while the GLA is representative of a group.
”All South Africans are equal … [and we welcome] the support of as many voters as we can persuade,” he said.
Meanwhile Waters said the DA is ”actively campaigning” among the lesbian and gay communities.
”We have openly gay candidates, such as myself,” he said, adding that the DA is canvassing among everybody, and supports equal rights for gays and lesbian.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the GLA said it supports the DA’s Western Cape’s leader in labelling FW de Klerk as an ”apartheid president”. This is not the first time the GLA has come out in support of the DA.
They said De Klerk was sworn in as South African president on a racist and homophobic ticket, in the colours of the then National Party.
”The fact that the New National Party had to call in De Klerk, proofed (sic) to South Africans that they acknowledged the fact that [Marthinus] Van Schalkwyk [Western Cape premier and leader of the NNP] is not fit to sell their party,” the GLA said.
Asking voters to support the DA, the GLA contended that the NNP track record is stained with discrimination and empty promises, as evidenced when it joined the African National Congress. — Sapa
Special Report: Elections 2004