EFF leader Julius Malema has responded to claims he “flip-flopped” after inviting Prof Patrick Loch Otieno Lumumba to the party's 10th anniversary celebrations.
The EFF said Lumumba will address the party's anniversary public lecture at the Sarah Baartman Hall at the University of Cape Town on July 24.
Lumumba has been vocal in his support for an anti-homosexuality bill recently passed in Uganda. The bill recommends heavy sentences, including the death penalty, for homosexuality. The EFF held a picket against the bill last month.
In a recent interview on DigiTalk TV, Lumamba said he was a homophobe and believed homosexuality could be cured.
"Are you homophobic? My answer is yes. Do I think that those who belong to that club ought to be treated and cured? They are sick! They ought to be cured."
Many slammed the EFF for giving Lumumba the platform and accused the party of “flip-flopping”.
Malema responded, saying the EFF invited Lumumba to allow different views.
“You don't censor a different opinion on your platforms simply because you disagree. Allowing different views makes a discourse even more exciting,” he said.
Malema previously condemned the bill, saying it was “inhumane”.
“What if Museveni [Ugandan president] is lesbian or gay himself? What if [Yoweri] Museveni is going to discover that much later. Because there are people who discover that even when they are older that 'actually this is what I am,'” said Malema.
“How are you going to identify that a person is gay? What scientific method are you going to use that she is lesbian? All you are going to use is look at a person out of hatred and decide this one is gay, this one is lesbian. It cannot be correct. So we are saying to Museveni, leave people the way they are. It is not our problem, it is not your problem, it is not a problem.”
Many expressed their dismay with Malema's response, with some saying homophobia was not a different opinion.
Sello, with “different views” as your mode of reasoning for this deliberate blunder, you expect an entire demographic whose violation of human rights you devised a nice demonstration march against to truly believe you were genuinely advocating and not a politician politicking? https://t.co/7pFvaNzc9Y
— Free Palestine 🇵🇸 (@iamkagi_styles) June 6, 2023
This is what happens when we think the revolution is about winning people over.
— #OromoProtests (@SeiseBagbo) June 6, 2023
Why are you (who claims freedom) platforming a person who thinks it’s okay to jail children because of their sexuality? https://t.co/qrYFGW2A0K
Human rights violations and right to existence can’t be just reduced to an opinion and exciting discourse🤮🤮🤮 https://t.co/SeU3iCmtDn
— Pule (@oliver_pule) June 7, 2023
Julius??? The said discourse is our existence as gay and trans people. You are literally debating our existence with a person who wants us dead. Be so serious right now I am begging you. https://t.co/Z3yf26idF0
— now playing Here 4 You by Joda Kgosi (@enbyfatale_) June 6, 2023
It is simply disingenuous to call Prof Lumumba’s comments on the LGBTQI community anything other than hate speech. A self-confessed homophobe, Lumumba believes LQBTQI individuals should be ‘treated and cured’ because they are ‘sick’. This is not ignorance; it’s violence. https://t.co/4ZTsG0O2DZ
— Tasneem Kathrada🇵🇸 (@t_kathrada) June 6, 2023
People’s right to exist without state persecution & death is not a “different opinion” and you understand this well when it comes to racism as you would never have allowed FW De Klerk a platform to debate his stance that Apartheid wasn’t a crime against humanity https://t.co/Oe5sltqrLY
— Uppity African 🍉 (@naledimashishi) June 6, 2023
You marched against homophobia but you're sitting here calling it an opinion as if it hasn't claimed lives. You might as well wake up Verwoed and have an exciting discourse with him you useless, disappointment of a revolutionary. https://t.co/xs7yDydeXH
— Lá Namhlä✋🏽 (@Nampree) June 6, 2023
Julius, homophobia is not a different opinion! Come on https://t.co/U1PqC6MEY7
— bhut’ omdala (@MprueDie) June 6, 2023
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