Marais homophobic - DA

2002-05-13 12:02

Cape Town - Western Cape Premier Peter Marais's homophobic statements are in direct contradiction with the constitutional clauses on sexual orientation, says the Democratic Alliance.

The party was reacting to Marais's claim at the weekend that a "gay lobby" in the alliance 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 a Sunday newspaper reported that three more women had gone public with complaints of sexual harassment against him, in the wake of a lawsuit by his New National Party colleague, Dr Audrey van Zyl.

The women, former NNP members of the legislature, said they had reported Marais to party bosses as far back as 1994.

The DA's acting chief executive in the Western Cape, Robin Carlisle, said on Monday there was no homosexual pressure group within the DA, nor was there any other group pressuring its leadership to go after Marais.

"The DA considers Marais's 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.

Marais 'has expressed sexual bigotry'

"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's "expressed sexual bigotry and intolerance" lent credence to the claims of those who brought allegations against him.

It was regrettable that the African National Congress had so far remained silent on Marais's homophobic statements.

He said Marais's claim that the DA had incited women to make allegations against him and had offered to pay their legal costs was without any truth whatsoever.

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.

"He has, of course, no such evidence, and seeks only to divert attention from his own desperate plight."

Carlisle said Marais could end all speculation by making himself available for a polygraph or other accepted form of lie-detector test.

- SAPA