Durban : Jacob Zuma's weekend comments about gay people earned him the wrath of gay and lesbian groups yesterday.

Speaking at Heritage Day celebrations in KwaDukuza on Sunday, Zuma said: "When I was growing up, an ungqingili (a gay) would not have stood in front of me. I would knock him out." The Sowetan quoted him as saying same sex marriages were "a disgrace to the nation and to God".

The Joint Working Group, representing the gay community, said in a statement yesterday that while Zuma was entitled to his personal opinion, his public statement "was a form of hate speech".

Zuma told the thousands of people attending the festivities he was speaking in his personal capacity, "as a man".

"It would seem Jacob Zuma still has a lot to learn about leadership. A true leader leads with intellect and wisdom - not popularity or favour. How can a narrow-minded person like this be expected to lead our nation?" the statement read.

It questioned whether a "homophobic" Zuma had forgotten SA's past of "state-institutionalised discrimination, stigmatisation and segregation".

It accused Zuma of "blatant ignorance of the fundamental rights of people as enshrined in our South Africa Constitution and a total disrespect of it".

Parliament is set to hold public hearings on the proposed Civil Unions Bill, which accords the same rights to gay unions as those enjoyed in existing marriages between heterosexual couples.

If the bill is passed, SA will become the first country in Africa to sanction same sex marriages or unions.

With acknowledgements to Sapa and Cape Times.