Joy over barring of anti-gay pastor from ‘den of iniquity’ SA

The South African Human Rights Commission has welcomed the decision by Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba to put a stop to anti-gay American pastor Steven Anderson’s attempts to visit South Africa.

The controversial pastor was banned from entering the country following petitions to Gigaba to block him from entering South Africa later this month.

The commission said it had received many complaints in July from people concerned about Anderson’s pending visit to South Africa.

“Complainants expressed concerns about the visit, given his homophobic pronouncements about members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) community as well as members of the Jewish and Muslim communities,” the commission said.

Earlier Anderson called South Africa a “den of iniquity” and a “demonic stronghold” in response to those who want him banned from visiting the country.

“I literally believe that South Africa is some kind of a demonic stronghold,” he said in a Sunday sermon titled There are Many Adversaries. The sermon was posted on YouTube.

The human rights commission said the US pastor’s offensive statements had an effect across all social media platforms. It expressed its concern that Anderson was undermining the Equality Act even though he had not yet entered the country.

“Following on these discussions, the commission is heartened that the home affairs department has taken proactive steps to protect the rights of persons in our country and to advance the commitments to respect for human rights recorded in our bill of rights.”

Anderson is not pleased with South Africa’s landmark decision to declare him and his entourage of 17 prohibited people ahead of his planned “soul winning” tour to the country, and has set his sights on Botswana.

“I have been banned from South Africa AND the United Kingdom. I am not even allowed to have a connecting flight in London,” he posted on Facebook and Twitter.

Quoting from Acts 18 verse 6, he wrote: “And when they opposed themselves, and blasphemed, he shook his raiment, and said unto them, Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean; from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles.”

He continued: “I feel sorry for people who live in South Africa, but thank God we still have a wide open door in Botswana. Stand by for reports of multitudes saved in Botswana, where religious freedom still exists,” he wrote.

Gigaba announced yesterday that Anderson, of the Faithful World Baptist Church in Arizona, has been prohibited in terms of the Immigration Act, following a study of a dossier of evidence collected by representatives of GaySA Radio.

The 17-strong delegation that was to accompany him would also not be welcome.

In the lead up to announcing his decision, Gigaba said that South Africa was a pioneer in advocating social justice and rights, and allowing Anderson in would negate the Constitution and the country’s work.

The decision was based on a right afforded the minister in Section 29(1)d of the Immigration Act, explained Gigaba.

His decision was also bolstered by the Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act, which prohibits hate speech, complaints to the human rights commission, and a petition with more than 60 000 signatures submitted by GaySA radio.

US citizens are ordinarily exempt from applying for a visa to come to South Africa, but in the case of Anderson and his entourage, this privilege was also revoked.But Anderson made it clear in his Sunday sermon that if South Africa turned him down, he would go to Botswana, saying the government there was more receptive to his stance that gay people were “sodomites”.

He said he had a missionary already doing work there, and believed they would be welcomed.