Durban - Shembe church leader Mduduzi Shembe has been heavily criticised for his remarks that gay people are responsible for the drought crippling the province.
The gay and lesbian community has slammed him over his comments made at a function in Nongoma at the weekend, saying they were “un-leader-like” and inflammatory, while the provincial government said such remarks were unfortunate and unacceptable.
The Shembe church, however, moved quickly to distance its leader from the allegations.
Shembe, from the Ebuhleni faction of the church, was speaking at a gathering at Enyokeni Palace in Nongoma, which was also attended by Premier Senzo Mchunu and King Goodwill Zwelithini.
The Shembe church is split into two main factions, the Ebuhleni and Ekuphakameni. There is an ongoing court case in which they are contesting for leadership of the church.
Mduduzi Shembe allegedly said the drought was an act of vengeance from God because people had defied him. He said men marrying other men was an act of defiance.
Speaking in Zulu, he allegedly said the people had gone against God’s wishes to procreate.
“Men are now marrying men, and that is why we are currently facing this curse of a hot sun and drought”.
But a church spokesman on Sunday tried to distance the church from the controversy, saying he never spoke on any matter involving gay people.
Sbo Khumalo, of the Durban Lesbian and Gay Community and Health Centre, said: “We would like it if there was a press conference where we would be represented and he would be there too, to explain exactly what he meant.”
She said the claim was rubbish.
“There are so many things happening in the world (that could be responsible for drought). Why did he pick on the gay community as being responsible?”
Leaders, Khumalo said, should refrain from speaking out of turn and making remarks which could cause harm.
“A person who is openly gay could be attacked by someone, saying that they are responsible for the drought. What he said is discrimination; there are no two ways about that.
“There are people in his church who are gay. If he speaks like this how are those people supposed to feel?
“Right now, he and members of his church are fighting over their God; they are chasing each other with hammers in court. He is not commenting on that. He has not commented on all the pastors misbehaving and mistreating people.”
A member of the church, who did not want to be named, said, “We saw the story in Isolezwe with other members of the Nazareth (Shembe). We thought to ourselves: ‘Here comes trouble;’ we are going to see a march now.”
Pastor Mhlaliseni Hlatshwayo, speaking on behalf of the Ebuhleni, said Mduduzi Shembe had not said anything about gay people.
“He was reading a scripture that people should procreate. People are defying God in this. He then made the example of men marrying other men.”
Thamsanqa Ngwenya, the head of provincial government communication, distanced the provincial government from the remarks.
“South Africa is governed through a constitution that guarantees fundamental human rights. Under the Bill of Rights, no one must be discriminated against because of his/her sexual orientation, religion or creed.
”Such prejudicial statements are regrettable and are not consistent with the dictates of the constitution. They are a recipe to instigate prejudice against the lesbian and gay community.”
The Mercury
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