South African DOJ to Launch Investigation into Alleged False Statements made by Mr. Gay South Africa

South African National Department of Justice and Constitutional Development: We call upon Mr Weyer to give a written explanation to his statements to the National Department of Justice and Constitutional Development. An investigation will be conducted and the Ministry reported to accordingly.”

By Melanie Nathan, June 11, 2012.

Last month a group of South African activists and NGO’s banded together under an ad hoc coalition called “Protect the South African Constitution Coalition ” (PSACC) which organized protests against the anti-gay parliamentary committee meetings being held by the Parliamentary Traditional Leaders in South Africa, calling to revoke sexual orientation and gender identity rights from the all-inclusive South African Constitution.

Mr. Gay South Africa Pty Ltd, its director (owner) Coenie Kukkuk and Mr. Lance Weyer, in his capacity as Mr. GAY South Africa (Mr.GSA) were asked to participate in the PSACC Coalition and indeed provided support to the protests that ensued in major cities across South Africa.

However during the course of the protests a politician and Democratic Alliance Member of Parliament, who also happens to be a gay man, MP Manny De Freitas, issued a statement that was interpreted by activists as mocking the protests of the gay community. De Freitas issued a subsequent apology which many felt was inadequate.

The current Mr. GSA, Lance Weyer took the vocal and public side of De Freitas. Weyer happens to be a paid career politician sharing the same DA party of MP De Freitas.  Weyer sent out an accusatory and divisive letter to the gay community which was later published and circulated. The communication found its way to the office of the South African National Department of Justice and Constitutional Development (DOJCD) which took offense at its contents.

The DOJCD sent a letter of complaint to Weyer at the end of May, asserting his statements to be false and irregular and asked Weyer for an explanation.

Weyer responded by avoiding direct answers to the questions and instead provided a partial  excuse, which served as crucial admissions, only to implicate him further in the offensiveness of his initial comments.  This made matters worse for Weyer, the reputation of the Mr. GAY SA organization and called into question a possible conflict of interest on the part of Weyer.

Instead of a diplomatic and appropriate response Weyer saw fit to attack the DOJCD even further, with an arrogant response, where he called on the DOJCD to answer unrelated questions which may well have had advocacy relevance if done properly, according to protocol and in an appropriate context.

The  DOJCD has now responded and sent a further communication to Lance Weyer asserting their dissatisfaction with his first response to them, demanding answers and informing Weyer that an investigation is being launched  against him.

Here is the DOJCD latest letter   (the preceding communication from the DOJCD can be seen on an earlier OBLOGDEE post at –  http://oblogdeeoblogda.wordpress.com/2012/05/30/mr-gay-south-africa-lance-weyer-should-resign-after-reprimanded-by-doj/ )

 From: Justice.gov.za

Date: Wed, 6 Jun 2012 10:11:42 +0000

To: Lance Weyer

Those Cc’d  Mr. GAY SA, Coenie Kukkuk (owner of Gay Mr. GAY SA and an attorney, and a group of South African leaders, activists and politicians.

 Subject: RE: REPLY: 30 May DOJCD

Dear Mr Weyer

The DOJCD welcomes and is confident in responding to questions related to the Task Team. Kindly submit a request for records of a public body in terms of Section 18(1) of the Promotion of Access to Information Act(2000). The DOJCD will adhere to and respond in the time provided by the Act.

With regards to the so called “communication unanswered” – eight ( 8 ) hours before our correspondence the Minister’s Spokesperson and myself received an anonymous sms in the evening stating they were a Lance Weyer and that we should send our email addresses. Mr Weyer will appreciate we did not know who you were, whom you were representing but despite that as we would have done anybody else – responded in eight ( 8 ) hours. We submit there are also numerous mediums of contacting the Minister’s Spokesperson and myself of which was not done adequately. Please do so in the future.

That being said the DOJCD deems it prudent that Mr Weyer respond to the questions he failed to respond to. Namely as to whom Mr Weyer is referring to when he states that he is in consultation with members of the DOJCD and with whom they are creating a new and improved Task Team. We also inquire as to the EU Funding that has been referred to. In addition the misrepresentation of the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development without his mandate.

We call upon Mr Weyer to give a written explanation to his statements to the National Department of Justice and Constitutional Development. An investigation will be conducted and the Ministry reported to accordingly.

Thank you for your email.

Kind Regards

In recent weeks, LGBTI activists have taken umbrage with the self described designation by the Mr. GAY South Africa pageant in its assertion  that the winner of the exclusive  pageant represents all South Africa’s LGBTI community as its “Ambassador for LGBTI rights in South Africa.” 

The current Mr. Gay SA has also been accused of wearing conflicting hats in his capacity as the winner of the contest with an activist designation being in direct conflict with his career as a member of a Democratic Alliance(DA), a political party.

Instead of adhering to his perceived role as a gay rights activist, Weyer inserted personal party politics by writing a BLOG  calling on all gays to support his DA party at a time when  non partisan unity was called for in the Coalition’s fight against the Traditional leaders.

As can be seen this may have hurt the LGBTI community,  as the current administration has not taken kindly to the divisive party politics deployed when Weyer noted in his Blog post  “Why the DA is the only party for LGBTI South Africans,”  while at the same time purporting to represent a nonpartisan LGBTI community by questions to the DOJCD on its behalf.

At this point in time it would seem appropriate that Lance Weyer resign as Mr. GSA and that Mr. GSA issue a statement retracting its mission statement that the annual winner of the pageant represents the entire SA LGBTI community as its Ambassador for LGBTI rights in South Africa.

Mr. GSA has a vacation planned in NYC later this month where he is attending a panel discussion at the Human Rights Watch.  It is my hope that when Lance Weyer’s appearance is announced the organizers of the HRW panel are clear that Weyer ‘s politics are not a reflection of the LGBTI community of South Africa and that in fact he is an anti-ANC career politician who is representing a “for profit ” organization, Mr. GAY South Africa (PTY) LTD.

I too have been invited to NYC to  speak on the same panel. I am unsure of my ability to participate at this time.

Melanie Nathan
[email protected]

http://oblogdeeoblogda.me/2012/05/29/controversy-looms-as-mr-gay-south-africa-claims-to-be-the-ambassador-for-lgbti-rights-in-south-africa/

http://oblogdeeoblogda.wordpress.com/2012/05/30/mr-gay-south-africa-lance-weyer-should-resign-after-reprimanded-by-doj/

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

9 Comments on “South African DOJ to Launch Investigation into Alleged False Statements made by Mr. Gay South Africa”

  1. Donothan June 13, 2012 at 8:42 PM #

    I for one as part of the LGBTI community in South Africa call for the current Mr GSA Lance Weyer to step down as the self proclaimed ambassador of the LGBTI community in SA. I for one did not give him the right or the Directors of Mr GSA to select an Ambassador for me, He (Lance) for one has done nothing to protect the rights of the greater LGBTI Community in South Africa, he has not even had the time to take on SANBS for the discriminatory way they recruit people to get blood, I for one as a gay man living in SA may not donate today as it is World Blood Day, based on the fact that I am a Gay Man.

    I am disgusted in the way Mr C. Kukkuk is handling the situation and getting his clan to come to the party and stand up for them, Cause he is to scared to state his own word, I am saddened THAT THE SELF PROCLAIMED DIRECTOR AND AMBASSADOR.

    Glad that the DOJCD is taking a stand against him, I for one do not vote DA, they have pretty picture of lesbians and gay men kissing on there boards but that is how far they stand up for us, Helen Zille for one took so long to stand up for her voters so she has lost our votes as a family as my family supports me and all who do support me. sadly the DA is only a party worried about keeping Cpt DA ruled.

    Have a good day

  2. Carla De Bouchet June 14, 2012 at 1:55 AM #

    Wow Donathan I’m so intrigued that Melanie’s brainwashing technique is actually working! I thought some people could think for themselves but looks like I was seriously mistaken. Sorry, not everyone could win Mr. Gay SA dear. I for one do not mind Lance Weyer. He can stay right where he is. At least he can stand up for what he believes in. What a blogging storm in a tea cup. Wonder how much the advertisers will make out of this one! Lol

    • Melanie Nathan July 1, 2012 at 4:28 PM #

      All advertizing you see on my site is pro bono. The site is sponsored by Melanie Nathan. All writing and advocacy work has been free of charge, to date. I stand behind what I write and no one has asked me to pull their free ads. Carla you are grasping at straws.

  3. Bander June 14, 2012 at 4:23 AM #

    Seems like Mr. Gay South Africa is in deep Sh%t. Shows you. When you are superior in an inferior manner, it bites you in the backside sooner than you can spell Coenie Kukuk.

  4. Donothan June 15, 2012 at 5:02 AM #

    Carla

    Melanie has not brain washed any one, it is true Mr GSA and the Directors of self proclaimed registrar to rule and run the LGBTI Community in SA. It is just truth and truth is what one reads from melanie comments. You for one have been brain washed by the Group of KKK followers, Coenie and You and Mr GSA and his followers do not have the right to say that MR GSA is the ambassador for my right less the rights of the LGBTI community in SA. Where is Lance when one needs him, Hiding behind his career the DA. And just because the DA supports the LGBTI community so does the ANC as 67 % of the votes that gave us the right to marry was the ANC not the DA. So come on darling face the facts and stop supporting a self proclaimed man. Grow some nuts please

    • Melanie Nathan July 1, 2012 at 4:32 PM #

      I have received many many letters -emails speaking about the MR GAY SA business and its proclaimed use of the title LGBTI Ambassador. I will probably report more as time goes by. In almost ever one of the e-mails I have received the party has asked to remain anonymous because of threats of lawsuit by the owner of Mr GAY SA and fear of standing in a community that has been divided by the elitism caused by a pageant that proclaims so much power.

  5. TruthComesOut July 3, 2012 at 7:18 AM #

    OBLOGDEE NEW POLICY – Via Auto detect – IP Add detection – when the subject person of an Article comes on site and comments using a false name this auto censor message appears and deletes the comment.

    • Melanie Nathan July 4, 2012 at 6:53 PM #

      OOPS

Trackbacks/Pingbacks

  1. South Africa and Homophobia on GAY STAR NEWS | O-blog-dee-o-blog-da - July 4, 2012

    […] South African DOJ to Launch Investigation into Alleged False Statements made by Mr. Gay South Africa (oblogdeeoblogda.me) […]

Leave a Reply

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:

Gravatar
WordPress.com Logo

You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Log Out / Change )

Twitter picture

You are commenting using your Twitter account. Log Out / Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. Log Out / Change )

Google+ photo

You are commenting using your Google+ account. Log Out / Change )

Connecting to %s

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 443 other followers

Build a website with WordPress.com
%d bloggers like this: