Cape Town - A local pastor under investigation by the SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) for homophobic statements is in the spotlight again for saying murder-accused Oscar Pistorius is “cursed for openly supporting homosexuals”.
But Oscar Bougardt of the Calvary Hope Ministries in Mitchells Plain and Delft defended his comments, telling the Cape Times on Tuesday: “I will continue to make statements until I die.
“Someone needs to speak out about their (homosexuals’) filthy lifestyles.”
Bougardt made the comments about Pistorius, the Paralympic athlete accused of murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, on his Facebook page.
Bougardt said Pistorius, “one of those sport stars who supported the filthy lifestyle of homosexuals”, was recently dropped from the “It Gets Better South Africa” campaign against homophobic bullying.
“I believe that Oscar Pistorius is cursed for openly supporting homosexuals. According to the Holy Word of God, homosexuality is an abomination to God, and any person who supports homosexuals are doomed for hell.”
Bougardt later removed the Facebook comments.
“One of the reasons I removed it was because homosexuals have been harassing me, screaming at me and verbally abusing me… It’s not because I’ve changed my stance on what I said.
“I feel it’s a truthful comment,” he said on Tuesday.
Asked how he felt about the SAHRC probing his comments, Bougardt said: “I don’t care. If they want to prosecute me they can.”
He added that the crime rate was “sky high” because of “homosexuals coming into our communities, picking up boys and giving them drugs and alcohol”.
“Our children are getting confused by these perverts.”
The website mambaonline said forensic investigator Pierre Le Roux last year complained to the SAHRC about other comments On Tuesday SAHRC spokesman Isaac Mangena confirmed that at least three complaints about Bougardt had been previously lodged.
He would look into whether Bougardt’s latest comments had been added to the complaints, but was not able to elaborate on this yesterday by the time of going to press.
Late last year, the SAHRC said it was looking into Bougardt after he sent out homophobic e-mails to gay groups.
In 2011, Bougardt said Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu should burn in hell for being accepting towards homosexuality.
Cape Times