CAPE TOWN - The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) says it will be taking "steps to provide redress" against Steve Hofmeyr relating to recent utterances made against the LGBTIQ+ community on social media.
Musician Hofmeyr, in Afrikaans utterances, had linked the community to be inclusive of bestiality who “have sex with mice, ducks and dogs”. This comes after Disney announced they would be introducing more characters to be inclusive of the community.
SAHRC said they had been alerted to the "concerning remarks" made by Hofmeyr in a post on social media.
"The Commission was further approached by a Non-Profit Organisation stationed in Gqeberha, reporting the comments to our offices as an alleged human rights violation. The statement from Mr Hofmeyr, and with reference to the '+' referred to in the LGBTIQ+ abbreviation, appears to have included the following: '…Waar my generasie geleer het om met muise eende en honde te praat gaan ons kinders geleer word hoe om met muise, eende en honde seks te he…' (Where my generation learned to talk to mice ducks and dogs, our children are going to be taught how to have sex with mice, ducks and dogs).
"From the Commission’s assessment of the statements made, it has determined that same appears to liken the LGBTIQ+ community to be inclusive of bestiality, which constitutes a sexual offence in Schedule 13 of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act 2007, as well as the Animal Protection Act, 1962. The Commission has further determined that the comments in equating a vulnerable section of society to criminals having sex with “mice, ducks and dogs” may seriously demean and humiliate members ascribing to the LGBTIQ+ community," a statement by the SAHRC read.
The Commission said the comments could be in contravention of Section 11 of the Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act, 2000 (Equality Act).
"The Commission has an express mandate to take steps to secure appropriate redress where human rights have been violated. In respect of its powers to act in its own name, as well as on behalf of a person and/or a group of persons, the Commission has therefore issued a letter of demand to Mr Hofmeyr to express its concerns relating to the utterances made and shared to his hundreds of thousands of followers and friends accordingly.
"Should the Commissions’ demands not be met the Commission reserves the right to proceed to the Equality Court to provide it with the appropriate relief herein. This may include a prayer for damages, as well as an order seeking the Respondent to undergo community service at a centre in support of the promotion of the rights of vulnerable groups," SAHRC said.
Enquiries to Hofmeyr were not responded to by deadline.
Cape Times