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eNCA journo says sorry over gay tweets

27 Feb 2014

eNCA business journalist Arabile Gumede has been forced to apologise for contravening his employer's social media policy after he tweeted "it's fine to be homophobic".

Gumede was responding to the anti-homosexuality bill Uganda President Yoweri Museveni has signed into law.

(Image extracted from YouTube)

Gumede tweeted: "I think it's fine to be homophobic, but to imprison someone for life because of their sexual preference is quite hefty."

He continued: "Imprisoning a homosexual for life is like killing a squirrel cause it stole your cashews."

Power FM presenter Eusebius McKaiser tweeted in response : "Why on earth is homophobia OK dude? Is it OK to be racist as long as I don't beat you to a pulp?"

Gumede replied: "It actually is."

Head of News at eNCA, Patrick Conroy, said: "We do not condone discrimination in any form."

Damon Boyd, Social Media Editor at eNCA, said Gumede would be "disciplined in terms of our social media policy" which forbade "any form of racism, sexism, religious bigotry or prejudice on grounds of sexual orientation by eNCA staff".

Gumede wrote in his apology: "I would like to pass on my sincerest apologies for my tweet. My hope was to relay a message that no one should impose their views on others either through death or any harm no matter what their views are on any social, judicial, economic or environmental issues. I am truly sorry, and take full responsibility for my actions."

Source: The Times, via I-Net Bridge

Source: I-Net Bridge

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