Cape Town - A Drakenstein pastor has come under fire for making hateful and derogatory comments about GOOD party leader Patricia de Lille, calling her a “wasgomeit and the biggest corrupt woman”.
The GOOD party referred the comments made by Pastor Marthinus Gouws to the SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) last week while De Lille said she would report Gouws’s “threats” to police.
Gouws made the comments during a community meeting where former GOOD party councillor, Edgar Arendse was addressing residents on why he was removed from the party in January.
Gouws is heard in the video saying: “De Lille is an old wasgoedmeit who washes her laundry in the river...De Lille we are coming for you, we are not scared.“
A wasgoedmeit is understood to be an Afrikaans word, meaning “a rowdy woman who airs people’s dirty laundry in public”.
Gouws, who told the Cape Times he stood by the comments, claimed he had worked closely with De Lille in the past.
“I did work with De Lille in the 80s and 90s. She would destroy anyone who is in her way or anyone who goes against her.
“That’s what she did with Mr Arendse (former member),” he said.
GOOD party media manager Janke Tolmay said: “A complaint has been lodged with the SAHRC and they are busy with the investigation into the hateful and derogatory comments. We will allow time for the process to conclude.”
The SAHRC confirmed it was investigating the complaint.
A GOOD party community activist said they were shocked by Arendse’s conduct during the meeting.
“Edgar Arendse is a former GOOD councillor. It is disgusting that a former councillor was there while the pastor was humiliating our leader and praying for her downfall,” she said.
Arendse said he called the meeting to share his side of the story with residents who elected him following his removal from the party.
His party membership was terminated after he was found guilty on seven counts of fraud, relating to illegally soliciting “membership fees” and “funding” from party members and members of the public.
But Arendse said these were “fabricated lies”.
“I have no issues with Patricia de Lille. The pastor asked if he could say a few words to the people during the meeting. I am no longer a member of GOOD. So I want to ask them to leave me alone,” he said.
Cape Times