DA member leaves party after homophobic slurs against Pappas

Member of the Democratic Alliance (DA) Graham McIntosh has left the party after his homophobic rant against Umngeni Mayor Chris Pappas.

McIntosh is a longtime DA member and former MP but holds no leadership position in any of its structures.

KwaZulu-Natal DA leader Dean MacPherson remarked that he rejected the “homophobic and narrow-minded” statement by McIntosh, according to City Press.

McIntosh’s homophobic rant

In his statement explaining his departure from the DA, McIntosh says he identifies with the openly gay mayor politically but doesn’t support his sexual orientation.

He said he and Pappas were previously members of the Congress of the People (Cope).

McIntosh didn’t hold back with his unhinged homophobic views against Pappas.

“Politically, I identify with him in so many ways. I speak the three languages (Zulu, Afrikaans, English) that he does. Our education at two different rival elite all boys’ boarding schools in the Natal Midlands, gave us a strong social conscience.

“I went to Parliament for the first time when I was 30. He became the Mayor of Umngeni at 30. We both have a Jack Russell Terrier-like determination and energy.

“However, Chris Pappas never misses an opportunity to mention his own sexuality and thus promotes the homosexual agenda of the tiny militant activist lobby within the estimated 3% of registered voters who may be homosexual.”

“He was also engaged to be married to another man,” he said.

‘I cant work with DA anymore’

MacIntosh added that he wants to campaign and help the multi-party charter to unseat the African National Congress (ANC) in 2024, but that he “sadly cannot do it with the DA”.

However, said MacIntosh, what Pappas “does behind his bedroom door” is of little concern to him.

“He might say: ‘I am homosexual; I have a boyfriend,’ but now he has to keep bringing it up. I will find it difficult to work against the ANC in our black areas,” he was quoted as saying.

Pappas came under fire last week when allegations of nepotism against him surfaced after he was announced as party premier candidate for KwaZulu-Natal.

This led to the ANC Youth League (ANCYL) marching to Umngeni municipal offices, demanding that Pappas resigns pending an investigation.

Pappas is accused of nepotism and corruption after the municipality last year gave R100 000 to uMngeni Tourism.

The community tourism body was previously chaired by Pappas’ ex-fiancé Jean-Pierre Prinsloo.