ZIM POLICE INVESTIGATE GAY ‘INVASION’
lesbians as “worse than dogs and pigs”. (Pic: Jeremy Lock)
A Zimbabwe news site reports that police are investigating an ‘invasion’ of a popular Harare music venue by 40 gays and lesbians.
The site said that a local newspaper “had it on good authority that the sexual deviants arrived at the joint aboard two buses… to watch Pfumojena’s performance which they had booked in advance”.
The venue’s manager, Ian White, told the news site that he did not know that the patrons were gay before they arrived for the show.
“We were just as surprised as everyone else upon realisation that some of the people we had allowed to come for the show were gay, but there was nothing we could do about it,” he said.
Gay sex and members of the same sex holding hands, hugging or kissing are illegal
An un-named staff member was quoted as saying: “Most of us just left the place. We could not take it, it was just horrible and nauseating, in fact, one of our colleagues vomited when he saw a gay couple kiss.”
Criminal Investigation Department spokesperson Inspector Zimbili told Bulawayo24 News that police were going to institute a full investigation.
“The law is very clear on that matter; if there was a gay parade or festival at that mall, we are going to carry a full investigation.
“According to law gay festivals or parades are not allowed as stated in the Codification and Reform Act; what they did is considered as sodomy and as police all parties who were involved will be dealt with,” said Zimbili.
Gay sex – along with members of the same sex holding hands, hugging or kissing – is illegal in Zimbabwe with penalties of up to three years in jail. LGBT people and activists are routinely harassed by officials and police.
Notoriously homophobic Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has long railed against gays and lesbians, often describing them as being worse than dogs and pigs.
Robert Mugabe. Who ever want to call this piece of shit a President. Why don’t they arrest and shoot this hairless Gorilla for atrocities committed against the people of his country. What a joke…
Mugabe. Die you Bastard Die! Your day to die comes quicker by the day. I plan to celebrate for 3 days when I hear you have vrekked off. The whole world and all Gays and Lesbians the world over look forward to your trip to hell. Die you bastard!
Colonising clubs. When I lived in Zimbabwe, we constantly colonised clubs and bars. It was a tactic which worked pretty well, but we were careful which venues we chose to invade. The Book Cafe is owned by white lefties and it has long been a rallying point for all kinds of people opposed to the regime, and it has always had a loyal gay clientele. I doubt very much that the regular clientele would have have been disgusted by a “gay invasion”. This really is a non-story, originating from a local paper who are often sensationalist and inaccurate.
The real story is that many brave gay Zimbabweans continue to lead relatively open lives despite official homophobia and harrasment. Same sex holding hands, hugging and kissing is not illegal. But sodomy is. However it is almost impossible to convict any one of sodomy as there has to be a witness. But the mere existance of such laws are used to intimidate or blackmail gay people, particularly if they happen to be activists. The problem in Zimbabwe has always been one of ignorance, including ignorance amongst people in law enforcement who don’t actually know the law.
While it s understandable that Mugabe provokes outrage amongst a lot of people, comments like “Die you bastard die” are really not helpful. It is said that every dog has his day, they say, but unfortunately Mugabe will NOT have his day in court. What South Africans can do is lobby their MPs, hold demonstrations outside the Zimbabwe High Commission and consulates, and apply pressure, the same way they have been doing with Uganda.