Religious freedom victory at UCT

SRC Vice President Zizipho Pae and FOR SA Founder and CEO Andrew Selley at UCT on Tuesday (August 4, 2015) after Pae’s expulsion from the SRC was declared invalid. (Photo: Facebook)

Religious freedom was the winner this week as University of Cape Town Vice Chancellor Dr Max Price ordered that “expelled” SRC Vice President Zizipho Pae be reinstated, and DA MP Marius Redelinghuys apologised to her for comments he made in response to her Facebook post reacting critically to the legalisation of same-sex marriage in the USA.

Price, who last week condemned intimidation of Pae by offended LGBTQIA+ protesters, announced this week that Pae’s expulsion at a chaotic SRC meeting on July 21 was procedurally invalid. He consulted the Constitutional Court and the UCT Faculty of Law after Pae asked him to review the SRC decision, stating that in the absence of appropriate steps she would take the matter to court.

Apology from DA MP

Redelinghuys apologised to Pae for his series of comments on her Facebook page, which he says were not intended to cause harm. His apology followed a meeting with DA Chief Whip John Steenhuisen, whose intervention came after calls for disciplinary action and public accountability.

Making his apology, Redelinghuys said:

“I hold that freedom of expression and freedom of opinion, belief and conscience are fundamental and inviolable Constitutional rights afforded to every person.

I also hold that our Constitution provides for the right to be and live the life we value, gay or straight.

While I differ significantly with Ms Pae’s views, I respect her right to hold them and to express them freely.

However, if Ms Pae felt my remarks were harmful or abusive, I apologise. This was not my intention.”

Freedom of Religion SA spokesperson, Advocate Nadene Badenhorst, responded on behalf of Pae:

“FOR SA respects Mr Redelinghuys’ rights to choose his beliefs and the life he wants to live, and is grateful for his acknowledgement that we live in a pluralistic society where people should be respectful, accommodating and tolerant of each other’s differences.”

Ongoing tension within SRC

Despite the setting aside of the invalid expulsion, SRC President Ramabina Mahapa stated that the SRC stands by its reasons for removing Pae. He reiterated support for the “queer community” and condemned Pae’s conduct for causing hurt.

Pae’s Facebook post on June 28, “We are institutionalizing and normalizing sin. May God have mercy on us”, sparked a strong reaction from the LGBTQIA+ community at UCT, including vandalisation of her office and a barrage of intimidatory remarks directed at her.

Badenhorst criticised the SRC’s response, stating:

“It is clear the SRC is not an environment where difference of belief and opinion is welcomed or accommodated.

As such, the SRC is not representative of the pluralistic nature of our society and does not hold true to the values of our Constitution.”

Pae’s response

Pae told LifeSiteNews:

“My biggest regret is that I have lost friends within the LGBT community. … Homophobia is the hatred or fear of someone because of their homosexuality. This does not describe my views at all. We need to draw a line between homophobia and being a Christian.”

She added:

“The fact that I was kicked out at the request of a group of 50 people says a lot about the strength of democracy on campus.”

According to Pae, the campus’ “Queer Revolution”, though small in number, has dominated discourse with its transformation agenda, including initiatives aimed at re-educating students on issues of sexuality.

She expressed disappointment that more Christians had not publicly supported her, saying:

“Christians are too quiet.”

Despite the controversy, she said her faith has been strengthened:

“I’ve seen on a small scale what persecution of Christians is like. People are offended by Christianity and offended by the Gospel. But I’ve seen the Lord’s faithfulness. He has sustained me.”

via Gateway News