January 2010

Protest the appointment of Jon Qwelane as South Africa's ambassador to Uganda now. Call Department of International Relations in Tshwane (+27 12 351 1000) and Cape Town (+27 21 464 3700).

The Joint Working Group1 (JWG), a network Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex (LGBTI) organizations throughout South Africa are deeply disturbed by reports over the weekend reportedly confirmed by the Department of International Relations and Cooperation that Jon Qwelane is to be appointed as an ambassador. We are even more disturbed by suggestions that he may be sent to Uganda where a brutally homophobic piece of legislation is being debated at this time.

Jon Qwelane has shown himself on a number of occasions to be openly and unapologetically homophobic and transphobic, not least when he wrote the article “Call me names, but Gay is not ok” in which he among other things expressed support for Robert Mugabe’s brutal and oppressive treatment of LGBTI people in Zimbabwe. There remains an open investigation and pending charges against Qwelane for hate speech at the South African Human Rights Commission in connection with this article.

Given that the South African Constitution in the Bill of Rights clearly states that people may not be discriminated against on the basis of their sexual orientation it seems unbelievable that a person who clearly holds views contrary to those stated in the Constitution would be considered a suitable representative of the state in any role, anywhere in the world.