{"id":247883,"date":"2016-09-13T16:00:37","date_gmt":"2016-09-13T16:00:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/citifmonline.com\/?p=247883"},"modified":"2016-09-13T16:00:37","modified_gmt":"2016-09-13T16:00:37","slug":"south-africa-bars-anti-gay-pastor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/2016\/09\/south-africa-bars-anti-gay-pastor\/","title":{"rendered":"South Africa bars anti-gay pastor"},"content":{"rendered":"
South Africa has barred controversial US pastor Steven Anderson from visiting the county because of his critical remarks about homosexuality.<\/p>\n
The home affairs minister said he was refused a visa as the constitution prohibits hate speech.<\/p>\n
Mr Anderson runs the Faithful Word Baptist Church, which says that homosexuality is an abomination punishable by the death penalty.<\/p>\n
He said that religious freedom no longer existed in South Africa.<\/p>\n
“I feel sorry for people who live in South Africa, but thank God we still have a wide open door in Botswana,” Mr Anderson posted on his Facebook page after the decision to refuse him a visa.<\/p>\n
South Africa has one of the most liberal constitutions in the world which protects gay rights.<\/p>\n
The BBC’s Milton Nkosi in Johannesburg says Mr Anderson was invited by a local church to visit this month.<\/p>\n