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| (PHOTO: MICHAEL HAMMOND/UCT) The Jameson Hall and Jammie Plaza at the University of Cape Town, located in South Africa. |
A college student in South Africa may face punishment from an academic institution's student government after posting a statement on Facebook in response to the U.S. Supreme Court decision legalizing gay marriage nationwide.
Zizipho Pae, a student of economics and statistics at the University of Cape Town, posted late in June a denunciation of the legalization of gay marriage in the United States via the 5-4 court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges.
"We are institutionalizing and normalizing sin! Sin May God have mercy on us....," wrote Pae, garnering over 470 likes and more than 300 comments of differing opinions on the matter.
According to the Cape Town based Family Policy Institute, a social conservative lobbying group founded in 2007, Pae was unjustly removed from a position she held in the UCT's Student Representative Council.
The group interviewed Pae to spread awareness of the possible punishment and have also launched a petition demanding her reinstatement to her former position in the SRC.
"Zizipho is still a UCT student, she has not resigned from the SRC and no motions of censure have been passed against her. Therefore her membership of the SRC cannot be lawfully terminated," read the petition.
"We believe that UCT should protect Zizipho from the members of the LGBTI society and promote an environment where people can express their differences, beliefs and causes in an acceptable, reasonable and fair manner."
Errol Naidoo, founder and CEO of the FPI, told The Christian Post that his organization "alerted the Christian community in South Africa about Zizipho's unfair treatment at UCT."
"I also urged Christians to write to UCT's management about the unfair treatment of Zizipho and their violation of her constitutional rights. UCT received hundreds of emails demanding equal treatment for Christians," said Naidoo.
"It appears the university upholds and protects the rights of LGBTI students but not the free speech and religious freedom rights of Christian students."
In contrast to the social and legal trends for most of the continent, South Africa as a nation is known for its strong support of gay rights.
In December 2006, South Africa became the fifth nation in the world and the first in Africa to legalize gay marriage, doing so through a bill passed in Parliament and signed into law by Acting President Phumzile Mlamblo-Ngcuka.
South Africa also has a clause in its constitution that expressly prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, along with other groupings like religion, race, and gender.
Patricia Lucas, spokeswoman for the University, told CP on Thursday that contrary to the FPI's claims Pae has not yet been disciplined.
"It is important to note that no disciplinary action has been taken regarding Ms Pae; the SRC has not reached a conclusion on the matter and the campus is on semester break until next week," said Lucas.
Regarding the claim that Pae was removed from the SRC for her post, Lucas directed CP to a statement made July 6 that states that Pae as of that date remained a member of the SRC.
"Ms Pae was serving as the Acting SRC President (of the Vacation Committee) and has been removed only from this acting position; she has not been suspended from her elected position on the SRC," read the statement.
"UCT urges Ms Pae to register a formal complaint with Campus Protection Services if she believes her rights have been violated. The university cannot act if such a complaint has not been registered."
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