More people wonder if Knysna burnt by God because of gay people

Following reports that a paramedic named “Bossie” Boshoff was suspended after saying Knysna was burnt by God in divine vengeance, more Facebook comments have emerged expressing much the same thing.

Writing in Afrikaans from Lydenburg, Pine Pienaar speculated that the “problem” in Knysna could perhaps be linked to the Pink Loerie Festival. He claimed that there was flooding in Los Angeles a “few years ago after a big moffie festival”.

“Moffie” is a slur against gay people that’s popular among conservative Afrikaners.

Pienaar’s Facebook friend Andre Bartosch – listed on Facebook as a “self-employed CEO” who studied at Johannesburg Technical College – said none of would surprise him, since Knysna is “littered with moffies”.

Pienaar’s Facebook profile has been set to private, but it still exists.

Pine Pienaar’s Facebook post.

Last week, another Afrikaner Christian took to Facebook to share what he believed was the real cause of the devastation in the Southern Cape after runaway fires in high winds ravaged both Knysna and Plettenberg bay, destroying hundreds of buildings and causing thousands to be evacuated.

At least six people died, including two firefighters and a family of three.

According to Boshoff, all of this was apparently due to the wrath of God being meted out on a town that had shown far too much tolerance towards homosexuality and gay weddings.

The Facebook post in question was deleted from Boshoff’s profile, but a screenshot of it nevertheless circulated on various social networks, causing uproar.

It subsequently emerged that “Bossie” was not Boshoff real first name, but that he was a Netcare911 paramedic and had been suspended pending further investigation.

According to News24, Netcare911 distanced itself from the man’s comments.

Bossie Boshoff’s alleged post. Picture: Facebook screenshot

Writing in Afrikaans, Boshoff made reference to last year’s Pink Loerie Mardi Gras and Arts Festival where 12 gay marriages took place with the support of the NG church, which is normally known for its conservatism but recently became more liberal about LGBTi rights.

Boshoff said: “It was all over the newspapers .. It dared God .. they mustn’t cry now about the fire .. God doesn’t let Himself be mocked….!!!!”

Conservative Christians consider homosexuality a sin, and often turn to the book of Leviticus in the Bible for justification.

The story of Sodom and Gomorrah is also often cited, due to the fact that a Hebrew deity allegedly smote these cities due to their wild sexual proclivities.