Queer activists occupying a luxury Camps Bay Airbnb have been accused of being hypocritical in claiming ‘to advance a rights-based agenda by violating the rights of others’.
This charge is made by Democratic Alliance (DA) MP Zakhele Mbhele, the party’s spokesperson on small business development, who said the activists were in fact ‘tainting’ and ‘undermining’ the ‘legitimate struggle of many to advance LGBTQIA+ rights’.
‘The LGBTQIA+ community often faces severe discrimination and violence, even in South Africa where their rights are entrenched in the Constitution. The cause to highlight these injustices is righteous; the actions of these occupiers are not,’ he said.
The group of seven, calling themselves the Queer Radical Feminist Activist Collective, rented the property for three nights only from last Friday, but then announced after their rental expired on Monday that they intended remaining in the home for as long as possible. They say they are hoping to draw attention to issues around land and housing.
Owner of the property, TurnKey365 Property Management Group, asked the queer activists to leave by 5pm on Thursday, but the activists stayed put. One was quoted this week as saying they were having ‘sleepless nights’ worrying about being evicted.
Mbhele rounded on the group in a statement.
‘It is hypocritical to claim to advance a rights-based agenda by violating the rights of others, and we support Airbnb’s demand that the illegal occupiers vacate the premises.
‘The illegal occupiers of this property are not simply the victims they portray themselves as, but are undermining the legitimate struggle of many to advance LGBTQIA+ rights.
‘Their actions are tainting that struggle and putting their own interests above those of the owner of this property and the tourism and hospitality industry it is part of – an industry responsible for thousands of jobs in South Africa.
‘The right to own property is protected by section 25 (1) of the Constitution: “No one may be deprived of property except in terms of law of general application, and no law may permit arbitrary deprivation of property,”’ he add.
Mbhele said while the DA ‘have sympathy for their cause to highlight the plight of vulnerable queer people, women and children in South Africa, illegally occupying someone else’s property completely distracts from their goal’.
He added: ‘Their illegal action will only have an adverse outcome for their cause, as well as the tourism and hospitality industry, and does not foster goodwill from the public…
‘Criminal action that violates the rights of others – even with the best intentions – will never and can never be the solution.’
Earlier this week, TurnKey365 Property Management Group said in a statement: ‘The guise under which the guests secured the booking has not only been dishonest, but their “indefinite” occupancy and refusal to allow staff onto the property has led to many staff unable to perform their duties resulting in a further compromise on their livelihoods and ability to support their families.
‘In addition, much needed future bookings are being compromised, resulting in a further setback for a small company already suffering and attempting to recover from the throes of Covid-19.’
[Picture: Capsol, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=23114231]