DA-ANC spat spits on

SOCIAL Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini has stood her ground on her remarks in Parliament, where she accused new DA leader Mmusi Maimane of being homophobic and intolerant of other religions.

Dlamini said yesterday she stood by her comment, during her budget vote, that Maimane described gays and lesbians as sinners who needed to be healed by the church.

Maimane, who is also a pastor at his church in Roodepoort, west of Johannesburg, was elected DA leader in Port Elizabeth at the weekend.

But he shot back at Dlamini and accused her of distorting facts.

The minister said she had picked up this fact on a gay site where Maimane was attacking gays and lesbians.

Maimane said Dlamini was trying to gain political mileage out of something he said in church to defend the rights of gays and lesbians.

“First of all, I support the constitution and uphold it. The constitution is the supreme law of the country and I uphold it.

I have never at one level undermined the rights of gay people, in fact I have supported them in many of the conventions we have held with them on gay rights,” said Maimane.

But Dlamini said that what she said in Parliament, during her budget vote, this week, was correct – that Maimane had made homophobic remarks at his church, where he was preaching.

“I wish to state here that I stand by the statement I made,” said Dlamini.

She said the onus was on Maimane to clarify his remarks in his sermon.

The new DA leader said it was the tendency of the ANC to attack him and try to discredit him.

He accused Dlamini of misleading people, as he had not at any point suggested that gay people were sinners who needed to be healed by the church.

Yesterday, the DA leader said it was the ANC tendency to attack him personally about his race and religion.