A “martial arts master” who called a gay trustee of her apartment block a “f***ing old queen” during a fight over birds will have to cough up R25 000.
Elvira Oelofse, of Killarney in Johannesburg, will also have to take an anger management course and apologise for her hate speech in writing, the equality court in Johannesburg ruled on Monday.
Timothy Trengrove-Jones, a retired University of the Witwatersrand lecturer, lodged a complaint against his neighbour at the equality court after the incident on July 1 last year.
A furious Oelofse had tried to prevent workers from Go Away Bird from putting up a nylon screen over a service shaft entrance next to her apartment. The screen was to keep birds out, but Oelofse was concerned that there were already pigeons trapped inside.
At about 09:30am Trengrove-Jones heard shouting in the complex and encountered Oelofse, who was swearing at the contractor.
'Meaningful victory'
According to magistrate PJ Stanford’s judgment, Oelofse called the men “f***ing sh*ts” and “miserable men”, and also blamed them for the war in Syria.
When she threw a ladder belonging to Go Away Bird down the corridor, she warned them that she was a master of “Eastern martial arts”.
“Do you know what I’m capable of? Do you know the Eastern martial art Shotokan?” she asked.
Oelofse alleged that Trengrove-Jones had stabbed at her chest with two fingers and breathed in her face. Jones denied this.
At this point the confrontation escalated further.
Trengrove-Jones was protesting that the entrance was common property when Oelofse hit back: “The only common thing around here is you. Look at you. You are disgusting. Even though you pretend to be decent. You are a f***ing old queen, you f***ing piece of shit!”
She also added that Trengrove-Jones was seeing a psychologist.
Trengrove-Jones told City Press’ sister newspaper Rapport yesterday: “This is a meaningful victory for me, for the LGBTIQ community and the country.
“It shows that we don’t have to subject ourselves to the belittlement of hate speech, but can approach the equality court.” – Rapport