Heinz Winckler, South Africa’s first “Idols SA” winner, turned lead pastor and his wife Alette recently faced backlash after launching their Christian books at the Breytenbach Centre.
While Heinz’s musical career put him on the map, his recent involvement with the church has made him a more controversial figure.
Their book launch at the multicultural centre, named after anti-apartheid icon Breyten Breytenbach, drew heated criticism, especially due to Heinz’s outspoken views on certain societal issues.
The event, which saw the couple promote their Christian-themed books, “Life Guides for Women” and “Life Guides for Men”, didn’t sit well with many social media followers.
The Wincklers' books are rooted in Christian principles, and their conservative stance isn’t well-received.
The main criticism stems from the couple’s views being divisive and outdated in today’s evolving cultural landscape. Heinz, in particular, was called out for promoting sexist views and, in doing so, undermining societal progress.
Heinz has previously been accused of holding homophobic and transphobic beliefs, and the book launch reignited these claims. His critics wasted no time bringing up his controversial past.
In response to the criticism, Heinz took to Instagram, to write: “If you believe like us that the Bible is the Word of God and believe we must be obedient to it, you are also conservative in the eyes of some ‘woke’ liberals. That’s why we say YES loudly; we are conservative.”
Alette, standing by her husband, also took to social media, making it clear where she stood: “If I am going to make the Sunday tabloids because I believe the word of God is the HIGHEST AUTHORITY, then bring it on!”
This isn’t the first time Heinz has found himself at the centre of a controversial conversation.
In 2021, he was part of a group of parents in Somerset West who voiced strong opposition to a school’s decision to support a transgender student and her request to be treated as female.
This incident led to widespread criticism, with many accusing him of being transphobic.
The controversy sparked an online petition urging people to stand against the “hate and judgment” Heinz was accused of promoting.
At the time of publishing, the debate remained unsolved with Heinz standing resolute in his belief.