TWO ARRESTED IN ZAMBIA FOR GAY SEX

Two men in Zambia have been arrested for allegedly having consensual sex in Lusaka, adding to the recent crackdown on the country’s LGBT community.

According to the Mwebantu website, the men were caught by another man sharing the same room with them.

He said that he awoke, turned on the lights and found the couple “red-handed in the act”.

The incident took place on Thursday 8 August in the Chilenje township.

The one man named in the report, Mike Mudenda, is 25-years-old. No information is given about the other man.

Police acting spokesperson Rae Hamoonga said that “Police officers who visited the scene found four condoms containing liquid suspected to be semen”.

Hamoonga also warned “would be offenders of this offence that as amended by act no 15 of 2005 the penalty for sodomy is a minimum of 15 years imprisonment upon conviction by the courts of law”.

In May, two other men, James Mwape and Philp Mubiana, were charged with having sex against the order of nature. They remain in prison awaiting trail following numerous delays. They are set to appear in court again on 29 August.

That same month, Zambian Home Affairs Minister Edgar Lungu dismissed calls to decriminalise homosexuality and said that “those advocating gay rights should go to hell. That is not an issue we will tolerate”.

In April, human rights campaigner Paul Kasonkomona was arrested by police as he left a Lusaka television station for speaking out in favour of LGBT rights on television. He is out on bail and is also awaiting trial.