US pastor rails against 'sinful' South Africa

“I literally believe that South Africa is some kind of a demonic stronghold,” he said in a Sunday sermon titled There are many adversaries. It was posted on YouTube.

He said there had been “much wickedness” in South Africa during its history.

“It's like the devil has a hold on that place. And don't try to make it about this race or that race or this nation, or that nation,” Anderson said.

LGBTI groups petitioned Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigabai to block him from entering South Africa later this month.

Gigaba said in July that home affairs would not hesitate to take action against Anderson if he committed hate speech on local soil, during his intended “soul winning” visit starting on September 18.

Not welcome

Anderson believes homosexuality is a sin and LGBTI people are “sodomites”.

Wimpy, the Spur, and the OR Tambo Airport Hotel had told him he was not welcome to hold his “soul winning” breakfasts and lunches on their premises. He planned to meet followers in a parking lot in Boksburg.

In his latest sermon, he told his congregation South Africa was “the rape capital of the world”.

“Look at the statistics of the rape, and the murder, and the kidnapping, and the car-jacking and all this wickedness. And then they are worried about me coming over and preaching against sin. They're worried that I might come over there and preach against perverts, when they're the rape capital of the world.

“Why don't you take a look in the mirror South Africa, before condemning me?”

He promised to bring a message of cleanliness and holiness to South Africa. Gigaba would be “damned” for standing with the “sodomites”.

He complained that the Christians in South Africa did not defend him, and would not be surprised if he was unable to win any souls because of the backlash.

Religious tolerance and respect for gender rights are part of South Africa's Constitution.

However, at least two of the country's biggest churches - the Methodist Church and the Anglican Church - do not permit same-sex marriage of their ministers or reverends.

News24