DA: RECALL QWELANE FROM UGANDA
In light of the murder of LGBT activists David Kato in Uganda, the Democratic Alliance (DA) has called on President Jacob Zuma to recall homophobic South African ambassador Jon Qwelane.
“It was disappointing that the Zuma administration appointed Mr Qwelane in the first place,” said DA international relations spokesman Stevens Mokgalapa on Monday in a statement.
“However, it should now realise that, in order to prosecute for rights for all and especially to do so in a hostile environment where lives are at stake, Mr Qwelane is entirely inappropriate.
“I shall be writing to President Zuma today petitioning for Mr Qwelane’s recall,” Mokgalapa said.
Zuma’s inappropriate and insensitive decision in January 2010 to appoint Qwelane as high commissioner to Uganda in the midst of growing social and political anti-gay sentiment in that country was greeted with outrage by human rights groups.
Qwelane was accused of hate speech by the Human Rights Commission in connection with his 2008 article, published in the Sunday Sun, in which he compared homosexuality to bestiality and urged politicians to remove the sexual orientation equality clause from the Constitution.
Qwelane has refused to apologise or admit to any wrong-doing and it is believed that if he returns to South Africa he could face charges in the Equality Court related to the article.
True colours. Qwelane’s appointment was one of the biggest travesties this government has committed. It was at best an insensitivity to the LGBTI community and lack of understanding of Ugandan politics, and at worst it is an attack on the community showing governments feelings towards us.
Too little too late. Even though I am a fan of the DA, I am sort of disappointed at this knee-jerk reaction. Why are they only NOW calling for Qwelane to be recalled? Why didn’t they speak out more strongly against it before he was appointed? He should never gotten the job in the first place. Perhaps if they appointed someone proper as ambassador, David’s life could have been saved.
But regardless, let’s hope that they follow up on this.
They did Ben. Hey Ben, the DA made a fuss about it at the time (one of the few who did) and the government just ignored them..
Typical. That is the scary part, that they can just ignore it, as they will again this time. So sad that the DA has so little power. I don’t even care if they win, as long as they just have enough voice behind them to have a proper say in things.