JOHANNESBURG – South Africa’s ambassador to Uganda — itself criticized for threatening the rights of gays — has been found guilty of hate speech for an anti-gay column he wrote before his appointment, the South African Human Rights Commission said Tuesday.
Commission spokesman Vincent Moaga said a judge ruled that the 2008 newspaper column headlined “Call me names, but gay is NOT OK” by veteran journalist Jon Qwelane promoted hatred. Qwelane was ordered to apologize and pay a fine of 100,000 rand (about $14,000) that the human rights commission will donate to a gay rights organization.
Qwelane, who was in the Ugandan capital Tuesday, did not mount a defense in the case filed by the commission.
An aide at the embassy said Qwelane was meeting with a delegation from South Africa when The Associated Press called for his reaction, and he did not immediately respond to an e-mail seeking comment.
Moaga said the case
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