Same-sex union is not only ant

Same-sex union is not only anti-God but also un-African – traditional leader

We all have a role to play in dismantling homophobia.

Same-sex union is not only ant

The Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa (Contralesa) provincial chairman Chief Mwelo Nonkonyana has made his views on same-sex marriage pretty clear.

Speaking at the funeral of the funeral of AmaXhosa senior royal member and Eastern Cape House of Traditional Leaders (ECHTL), Nonkonyana was quoted by the Dispatch as saying:

“According to God’s law, man should marry a woman. Same-sex union is not only anti-God but also un-African,” Nonkonyana said.

He also said that they will not demarcate residential sites for people who are involved in same-sex marriages.

“In our rural areas we will never demarcate residential land for any man who is married to another man, not because we punish them, but because sites are according to our practices and are demarcated for a married man who has a wife.”

Homophobia is pretty rife in some of South Africa’s rural communities with women often suffering the worst with “corrective rape” being one of the biggest issues.

While it might be easy to dismiss the views of traditional leaders as irrelevant, these leaders play an important part in their communities and have a vital role to play in dismantling homophobia.

The problem is also not exclusive to traditional leaders. In 2014, the Mail and Guardian also reported that the issue was on the rise in classrooms across the country. An activist warned that the country’s LGBTI pupils are being abused and bullied to the brink of suicide. At the time, research showed that a fifth had attempted suicide and a fifth had been raped or sexually assaulted.