News / National
Rights lawyers attacks Chombo over homosexuality comments
16 May 2012 at 01:41hrs | Views
Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) has condemned utterances by Minister of Local Government, Rural and Urban Development, Ignatius Chombo calling on chiefs to banish people who support homosexuality from their communities and take away their land.
Chombo made the remarks when he addressed hundreds of villagers during the installation of Vusumuzi Nicodemus Khumalo as Chief Mabhikwa in Jotsholo Matabeleland North.
"ZLHR is concerned that such utterances will give rise to an increase in incidents of harassment, persecution, as well as unlawful arbitrary evictions and seizure of property, which evictions and deprivations are a violation of our national laws, as well as the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights, to which Zimbabwe is a signatory.
"Chombo's appetite for forced evictions, especially in the month of May, is reminiscent of the scorched earth programme of Operation Murambatsvina which had far-reaching consequences on a large portion of the Zimbabwean population," said the organisation in a statement.
"Such political grandstanding serves only to highlight the blatant disrespect for the rule of law and to underline the lack of sincerity by a minister from a political party which pretends to support economic and social justice â€" particularly land rights - for the majority poor of Zimbabwe.
"Instead, Chombo should be ashamed of his, and the government's failure to provide adequate alternative accommodation and/or compensation to those people who were left homeless and jobless almost 7 years ago."
ZLHR said by inciting villagers and chiefs to target people who support homosexuality, and linking the debate to the purported support of homosexuality and same-sex marriages by other political parties in Zimbabwe, "it is clear that Chombo is seeking to mislead people, and to initiate a witch-hunt within peace-loving communities.
"It is clear that this will then be used as a pretext to clamp down on political opponents as the country moves towards a fresh election, drive out perceived supporters of alternative political parties on the basis that they "support homosexuality", and increase internal displacement so that people will find it difficult to vote during the polls."
Chombo made the remarks when he addressed hundreds of villagers during the installation of Vusumuzi Nicodemus Khumalo as Chief Mabhikwa in Jotsholo Matabeleland North.
"ZLHR is concerned that such utterances will give rise to an increase in incidents of harassment, persecution, as well as unlawful arbitrary evictions and seizure of property, which evictions and deprivations are a violation of our national laws, as well as the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights, to which Zimbabwe is a signatory.
"Chombo's appetite for forced evictions, especially in the month of May, is reminiscent of the scorched earth programme of Operation Murambatsvina which had far-reaching consequences on a large portion of the Zimbabwean population," said the organisation in a statement.
"Such political grandstanding serves only to highlight the blatant disrespect for the rule of law and to underline the lack of sincerity by a minister from a political party which pretends to support economic and social justice â€" particularly land rights - for the majority poor of Zimbabwe.
"Instead, Chombo should be ashamed of his, and the government's failure to provide adequate alternative accommodation and/or compensation to those people who were left homeless and jobless almost 7 years ago."
ZLHR said by inciting villagers and chiefs to target people who support homosexuality, and linking the debate to the purported support of homosexuality and same-sex marriages by other political parties in Zimbabwe, "it is clear that Chombo is seeking to mislead people, and to initiate a witch-hunt within peace-loving communities.
"It is clear that this will then be used as a pretext to clamp down on political opponents as the country moves towards a fresh election, drive out perceived supporters of alternative political parties on the basis that they "support homosexuality", and increase internal displacement so that people will find it difficult to vote during the polls."
Source - Byo24News
