Planned “Family Values” conference in South Africa draws criticism
South Africa’s online LGBTQ+ news site MambaOnline has launched a petition urging the country to reject a planned Pan-African “family values” conference that campaigners say forms part of a growing anti-rights movement targeting LGBTQ+ people, women and diverse families across Africa. The petition, “South Africa Must Reject Hate Conference Disguised as ‘Family Values’,” has attracted more than 3,000 signatures.
The 3rd Pan-African Conference on Family Values (PACFV) is scheduled to take place in Cape Town in May 2027. The event is being organised by conservative groups that have campaigned against LGBTQ+ rights, reproductive rights and comprehensive sexuality education across the continent.
The event is one of several planned or proposed gatherings in Africa that are being organized for next year by anti-LGBTQ+ rights groups.
Previously, the organisers of an African Inter-Parliamentary Conference on Family Values and Sovereignty, held last June in Ghana, announced plans for two additional continental conferences in 2027 — one in Burkina Faso in May and another in Eswatini in August or September. Those would be the fifth and sixth African Inter-Parliamentary Conferences on Family Values and Sovereignty, following earlier ones in Uganda.
The separate Pan-African Conference on Family Values (PACFV), planned for May 2027 in Cape Town, was announced last month by the Africa Christian Professionals Forum (ACPF). It is to be organized by the anti-LGBTQ+ Family Policy Institute (FPI), based in Cape Town.
MambaOnline says it launched its petition to spark a broader national conversation about how South Africa should respond to the growing anti-rights movement and its attempts to influence laws, policies and public discourse across Africa.
“South Africa is at a critical moment,” said Luiz De Barros, Founder of MambaOnline. “This is not simply about one conference or one community. It is about what kind of society we want to be and whether we are prepared to defend the constitutional values that underpin our democracy.”
Among the opponents of the Cape Town conference is Inclusive and Affirming Ministries (IAM), a Cape Town-based organisation that champions the full inclusion of LGBTQ+ people within African faith communities. It has urged South Africans to reject efforts to restrict the rights and freedoms of already marginalised communities.
“As a nation that has fought hard for its democratic gains, South Africa and indeed South Africans must reject any rhetoric that seeks to undermine the liberties enshrined in our Constitution,” Rev. Ecclesia de Lange, IAM Director, told MambaOnline.
“As Inclusive and Affirming Ministries, we reaffirm our commitment to an Africa where all people can live openly, safely, and with dignity. We call on leaders to protect inclusion and to champion values of justice, and human flourishing for all.”
MambaOnline Managing Editor Nompilo Gwala explained that the petition deliberately calls for engagement across society rather than limiting the response to the LGBTQ+ community.
“We want this to be a conversation involving LGBTQ+ organisations, women’s rights groups, young people, faith communities, traditional leaders, politicians, businesses, academics and ordinary South Africans,” she said.
“South Africa’s constitution belongs to all of us. So does the responsibility to defend the dignity and equality it promises.”
South Africa is the only African country whose constitution explicitly prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and whose laws recognise same-sex marriage.
The petition acknowledges the constitutional rights to freedom of religion, belief, expression and peaceful assembly, while arguing that these freedoms cannot be used to justify discrimination, dehumanisation or attempts to strip other people of their rights.
It calls on the South African government, parliament and political leaders to publicly reaffirm the country’s commitment to equality, human dignity, freedom from discrimination, LGBTQ+ rights and diverse families.
It also urges conference venues, hotels and businesses to consider whether hosting an event associated with exclusionary campaigning is compatible with their own commitments to diversity, inclusion and human rights.
A growing anti-rights movement
MambaOnline first reported on the planned Cape Town conference in July, after the Africa Christian Professionals Forum (ACPF) confirmed that the event would take place in the city.
The conference follows a previous gathering in Nairobi in 2025, where delegates discussed strategies to oppose LGBTQ+ equality, abortion and comprehensive sexuality education.
The movement behind such initiatives has grown increasingly organised across Africa, often with support from conservative Christian organisations based outside the continent.
Critics have warned that these campaigns seek to package opposition to LGBTQ+ rights, women’s rights and reproductive freedom as the defence of “African values” or “family values.”
The choice of Cape Town is significant, as the city is preparing to host WorldPride in 2028 — the first WorldPride to take place on African soil.
The petition calls on faith leaders who support inclusion to make their voices heard and demonstrate that religion does not speak with a single voice.
It also calls on traditional leaders to reject narratives portraying LGBTQ+ Africans as outsiders and on civil society organisations to work together across movements to promote constitutional values and evidence-based public dialogue.
For all South Africans, the petition has a simple message: reject fear, misinformation and division, stand with families in all their diversity and speak out against hate.
“We don’t believe the answer to an organised anti-rights movement is simply to shout louder on social media,” said Gwala. “We need a sustained, intelligent and united response that engages society, challenges misinformation and reminds people that inclusion is not a foreign or un-African concept. Ubuntu, dignity, compassion and community are deeply rooted in who we are.”
MambaOnline is calling on South Africans and allies across the continent and internationally to add their voices to the campaign and help start a conversation about the country’s response to the growing anti-rights movement.
To sign the petition, click here:
