Cape Town - A man who hopes to be the president of the country next year came under attack when he wanted to paint over the LGBTQIA+ rainbow pedestrian crossing in Green Point.
Mehmet Vefa Dag of the Truth and Solidarity Movement Party in a tweet called on Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis to remove the colours as the country celebrated Pride Month.
Speaking to the media on Somerset Road on Sunday, Dag said he didn’t know about the crossing that was painted in October until recently. He explained he saw it earlier this month and started campaigning to cover it with black paint.
“You can be gay but we are not gay, we are straight people of Cape Town. Don't push into our communities your disgraceful agenda,” tweeted Dag, a Turkish immigrant who has become a frequent fixture on ballot papers.
In another tweet he wrote: “No law in #SouthAfrica says we should paint our roads like this, it's dangerous for drivers. Please show me which K53 books show that roads should be painted this way.”
Hill-Lewis replied: “Genuinely saddened that this hate message gets such traction. A pedestrian crossing isn’t forcing you to do anything, Mehmet.
“You’re welcome to protest peacefully, but not to spread hate, and not to damage public infrastructure.”
Genuinely saddened that this hate message gets such traction. A pedestrian crossing isn’t forcing you to do anything, Mehmet.
— Geordin Hill-Lewis (@geordinhl) June 9, 2023
You’re welcome to protest peacefully, but not to spread hate, and not to damage public infrastructure.
After Dag ran a poll on Twitter about whether he should paint the pedestrian crossing black or keep it he changed his mind and said South Africa had decided to keep it as 70% of users voted against his plan.
On Sunday he arrived in Green Point as a group of LGBTQIA+ people gathered. A drag queen by the name of Stella Rose strutted across the crossing in silent protest.
Just before the weekend, Vefa Dag vowed to throw black paint over the rainbow-coloured pedestrian crossing in Somerset Road, Green Point, “to save our children from these freak colours”.https://t.co/LhsrWR0ROq
— Cape Argus (@TheCapeArgus) June 11, 2023
Pictures: Armand Hough/AfNews Agency(ANA) pic.twitter.com/cj02Ys2pOg
Dag said: “We say instead of wasting money on the colours of LGBTQI+, take that money and spend it on the Cape Flats to fight crime, drugs and prostitution, poverty and homelessness. This is a zionist ideology, Americans are trying to oppress us through this identity.
“We are going to take this to the High Court, this is an injustice, we are going to fight this. The court will have to listen to us, the rainbow must be removed. The rainbow crossing has created division.
“I am not homophobic but I don’t want the gay community to be the scapegoat of the zionist system.”
Dag has been trying to get into the presidential seat since 2007.
“I know I was not born in South Africa but I will fight to be the president, because I have been a taxpayer for 22 years. Our party is gaining in numbers in the North West, Eastern Cape and Gauteng. We now have 10 000 members.”
Timothy Bagg, who called Dag a bigot, said: “We will stand up and fight against this, the LGBTQ community has been marginalised throughout the ages and Cape Town has been one of the unique cities that has shown forgiveness, kindness and compassion to that community.
“This is something that we are proud of, that makes us feel like we are at home. For once I can walk on the streets with my partner and not feel that someone is going to attack us.
“And we have someone like Mehmet who wants to paint the crossing black. If he wants to paint over the colours in the City then where are going to draw the line?”
Local councillor Ian McMahon said Dag was trying to get attention.
“Two days ago, no one knew who this gentleman was and his name had no recognition.
“As regards the legality of this in terms of the Road Traffic Act, it is legal. If the (traffic) lights weren’t here it would not be legal, but this is a signal pedestrian crossing, and therefore the lights are what make people stop.”