Radical anti-gay America pastor kicked out of Botswana
Government has deported and placed under Prohibited Immigrant (PI) anti-gay American pastor Steven Anderson.
The Arizona, USA based pastor of The Faithful Word Baptist Church, who was recently barred from entering the United Kingdom and South Africa, arrived in Botswana last week and held his first church service on Sunday in Gaborone. DIS officials swooped in on and arrested the pastor shortly after his interview on Gabz FM.
Anderson’s arrest and deportation comes days after Key Population Coalition in Botswana - (KPC – comprising LEGABIBO, BONELA, Rainbow Identity Association, Men for Health and Gender Justice, Pilot Matambo Center for Men’s Health) called on the Government of Botswana, Civil Society, Human Rights Lawyers, Religious communities and Batswana to protect, promote and defend human rights by rejecting the ‘divisive and violent’ teachings of Anderson and denying him entry into Botswana.
They delivered a petition to the government asking that Anderson who has repeatedly called for gays to be put to death and reportedly referred to them as cockroaches, be banned from entering the country. The concerned group’s representative, Cain Youngman, told The Midweek Sun that even though they are happy that he has been deported, they wished that he could have been denied access. “He has vindicated us. We told Batswana and government that this guy is not fit to be allowed into our country. As the country we are currently struggling to control hate speech and we should not add salt into a wound. We are not happy that we had to face the insults and hate speech coming from him but at least now the government and the nation know where we were coming from,” he said.
During his debate on Gabz FM’s morning show, Breakfast with Reg, the pastor reiterated his stance that government should take the responsibility to kill homosexuals. Immediately when the show ended, security agents accompanied by immigration officers pounced on him and took him to the immigration offices before he was deported. Government has since issued a statement confirming his deportation. He stated in the radio interview that he even chased out of church on Sunday an old man who claimed to be gay.
The pastor had a heated debate regarding the Bible and gays with Reverend Thabo Mampane and LEGAGIBO representative Youngman. After he was banned in South Africa where he had planned to launch an Africa-based ministry, Anderson lashed out in a video-taped sermon in which he claimed to already be in the country through media coverage. The pastor also shared that he was barred from flying through London on his way to Botswana. Pastor Anderson’s homophobia has intensified his notoriety. A few months ago, following the tragic shooting at an Orlando gay nightclub in America where 49 people were shot dead, he supported the violence and said homosexuals deserve to be killed.