A spat between the Democratic Alliance’s Angus McKenzie and a former resident took an ugly turn this week after the outspoken Bonteheuwel ward councillor called the man a “moffie” in a leaked voice note.
The DA has confirmed that steps will be taken by the party against McKenzie.
The 22-second voice note was sent by McKenzie to a Bontas resident who piemped Byron Theunissen for making nasty remarks about the councillor on social media. According to residents, the two men have been at each other’s throats for years over petty issues.
On Wednesday, the feud blew up after Theunissen commented on a Facebook post that accused Mckenzie of “lying on TV”.
User Ebrahiem Noordien stated in the post: “McKenzie hoekom lieg jy op live TV om te sê jy create werk vir die mense om die strate te vee maar dan vee hulle net om die civic centre elke dag?”
Theunissen commented: “Dai man lieg al die pad but Bonteheuwel se mense gaan seker nog altyd vote vir hom…”
These comments were sent to McKenzie, who is not a member of the Official Bonteheuwel Group on Facebook.
He responded to the person, who sent him the posts with a voice note, saying: “Byron Theunissen is a little moffie wat daar is Jasmine Juniper straat gebly het and he almost managed to break the Baptist church because sy vrou kan nie gesing het nie en sy wil voor gesing het and now he lives in Dubai, so sê vir hom hy moetie rond sit en....amper die ander woord gebruik.”
Someone then leaked the voice note and within hours, it started spreading on Facebook and WhatsApp groups.
Theunissen responded by posting a meme of McKenzie dressed in a pink tutu, holding a fairy wand.
While Theunissen claims he isn’t fazed by the moffie comment, LGBT+ activist and gender advocate for Gender Dynamix, Belinda Qawamba Ka-Fassie, tells the Daily Voice that McKenzie is a “cis-bigot” who undermines the lived experiences of sexual and gender minorities in the country.
“The word ‘moffie’ has been used like a sword against us, it is also the last word that victims of queerphobia and transphobia hear when they die at the hands of cis-bigots,” she said.
“To use this word loosely in a way to disparage someone perpetuates further covert and potentially overt violence towards sexual and gender minorities.
“This is disgusting for a community leader who ought to carry himself in line with the values of our constitution,” Ka-Fassie added.
McKenzie has admitted that he was wrong to use the word, and told the Daily Voice: “I am in no way anti-gay and I am sorry for what I called him. This voice note was sent after the many occasions that he spoke about me in spaces that he is well aware of I can’t respond to and this perpetuates lies and untruths [by] not allowing me to respond.”
The DA’s LGBTQIA+ metro chairperson Rob Quintas confirmed that he has spoken to McKenzie and disciplinary steps will be taken.
“The DA does not condone the use of derogatory language of this nature. As a public representative, we must at all times be cognizant, sensitive to the power of words and the harm that they can cause,” Quintas explained. “We have internal party processes for such cases that will be considered.”
The City of Cape Town did not respond to queries.
tracy-lynn.ruiters@inl.co.za