The homophobic comments, made on a public platform earlier this week by Umzinyathi District Mayor, James Mthethwa, that he intends clamping down on homosexuality and that gay people spread AIDS, have no place in our society.

The DA [Democratic Alliance] will report Mr Mthethwa to the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) and ask the commission to investigate his offensive and unconstitutional comments. The SAHRC, which is tasked with supporting constitutional democracy and with promoting respect for the human rights of all South Africans without fear or favour, is the appropriate institution to probe these comments.

Mthethwa reportedly made the comments at the launch of the Umzinyathi Community Health Work Training Project in Dundee, KwaZulu-Natal. According to the Sowetan newspaper, he said he was concerned that homosexuals were bringing shame to communities and were responsible for the spread of HIV.

He also said homosexuality needed to be stopped "before spreading to other places". Alarmingly, he went on to say that community health workers would run a door-to-door campaign to educate locals "about the dangers of homosexuality".