FW: Advocate S.P. Holomisa - Chair Person of Constitutional Review Commitee: Protect the constitution of

[Antje Schuhmann]

Dear friends and comrades, 

The sexual orientation clause in the South African constitution is under threat by the house of traditional leaders. The online petition link below is circulated to oppose this development.

Please feel free to pass this on.

Best 

Antje

<http://www.change.org/petitions/advocate-s-p-holomisa-chair-person-of-constitutional-review-commitee-protect-the-constitution-of-south-africa-as-it-is?utm_source=action_alert&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;me=aa&amp;utm_campaign=aoQLWOhpDf&amp;alert_id=aoQLWOhp>

Advocate S.P. Holomisa - Chair Person of Constitutional Review Commitee: Protect the constitution of South Africa - AS IT IS!

Why it's important: The South African Constitutional Review Comittee is currently entertaining a proposal from the House of Traditional Leaders to scrap "sexual orientation" section from the bill of rights contained in Chapter 2 of the Constitution of South Africa

The SA Constitution reads: “The state may not unfairly discriminate directly or indirectly against anyone on one or more grounds, including race, gender, sex, pregnancy, marital status, ethnic or social origin, colour, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, conscience, belief, culture, language and birth.”

The removal of the sexual orienation term will mean SA LGBTI citizens will face rampant homophobic discrimination and in many cases homophobic hate crimes with no recourse, the task team on "corrective rape" will be null and void and the country's strengthening LGBTI community will have to go into hiding.

This proposal goes against the grain of mainstream South African sentiment and is only entertained because of the paternalistic respect within South African traditions which is now being wielded for homophobic purposes by the House of Traditional Leaders.

Nelson Mandela said during his inauguration speach that: ” Never, never and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one by another”"

Let's fulfill his vision!

Show your support for preserving South Africa's constituion, which was an early adopter of gay rights and set a bench mark for equality world wide. Started by: Eugene B. from Capetown, South Africa

Will you sign it? Click here to sign the petition: "Advocate S.P. Holomisa - Chair Person of Constitutional Review Commitee: Protect the constitution of South Africa - AS IT IS!"

<http://www.change.org/petitions/advocate-s-p-holomisa-chair-person-of-constitutional-review-commitee-protect-the-constitution-of-south-africa-as-it-is?utm_source=action_alert&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;me=aa&amp;utm_campaign=aoQLWOhpDf&amp;alert_id=aoQLWOhp>





------ End of Forwarded Message

This communication is intended for the addressee only. It is confidential. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately and destroy the original message. You may not copy or disseminate this communication without the permission of the University. Only authorized signatories are competent to enter into agreements on behalf of the University and recipients are thus advised that the content of this message may not be legally binding on the University and may contain the personal views and opinions of the author, which are not necessarily the views and opinions of The University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. All agreements between the University and outsiders are subject to South African Law unless the University agrees in writing to the contrary.