Defiant Zambian Home Affairs Minister Compares Gays to Dogs

By Melanie Nathan, May 10, 2013.

Woof – Woof Mr. Minister – maybe I am just a run of the mill ol bitch!

Responding to Amnesty International’s call for the release of two young Zambian men detained in deplorable conditions, accused of sodomy as being “against the order of nature,” and for being a gay couple, the Zambian Home Affairs Deputy Minister, Nixson Chilangwa, has defiantly indicated that Zambia will not abide its international treaties.

The minister told Zedchronicle that Zambia:

“has its own laws that govern the land and no international organ should dictate how the affairs of the country must be handled.”

I guess that means his government gets to slide out of an international treaty? But instead of looking at why Amnesty International is making the call for the release of the young men, Chilangwa defames the group- in a not surprising “attack the messenger” strategy:-

“That is what theses organizations are payed for, to make noise even when its not necessary. They are payed to say all manner of things but we will not allow anybody to dictate to us how the affairs of this country should be run. Zambia has its own laws that govern this country and its not up to Amnesty to tell us how to run the affairs of our country.”

And he went a step further declaring Zambia a “Christian Nation” – in flagrant disregard of the Zambian Constitution:-

“Amnesty is wasting their time because the Zambian people have refused such dirty activities in our community. It is against our cultural and religious beliefs and this country is a Christian nation and the bible is very clear on homosexuality.”

And then the ultimate desperate insult, an analogy rendering myth that animals do not display homosexual behavior -by the erstwhile Minister, where he says:

“Even a dog knows a female dog. This country has laws and let the law take its cause. No one should come and impose things that will pollute the minds of our people and Amnesty must leave us alone to run our affairs.”

Philip Mubiana, 21, and James Mwape, 20 of Ndeke , Kapiri Mposhi were arrested twice this week and after appearing briefly in court, denied the charges, were denied and remain in detention under very harsh conditions. See our article on Amnesty International’s call to Zambian authorities to release the men.

Amnest asserts that the laws criminalizing homosexuality and gender identity criminalize the legitimate exercise of their human rights, which are protected in treaties ratified by Zambia, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights,” said Mr Simeon Mwanza, Amnesty International’s Zambia researcher.

Lest we forget About Zambia

Zambia’s contemporary culture is a blend of values, norms, material and spiritual traditions of more than 70 ethnically diverse people. Most of the tribes of Zambia moved into the area in a series of migratory waves a few centuries ago. They grew in numbers and many travelled in search of establishing new kingdoms, farming land and pastures. Before the colonial period, the region now known as Zambia was the home of a number of free states. And then came the Colonial period and the import of the White man’s Penal Code that the Minister now ignorantly attributes to his own Zambian culture.

By Melanie Nathan () [email protected]

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