News / National
Mugabe castigates gays
20 Nov 2011 at 06:29hrs | Views
President Mugabe has castigated British Prime Minister David Cameron for attempting to force sovereign nations to endorse homosexuality by threatening to withhold critical aid packages, saying the conditionality showed pure "madness".
Speaking at the launch of the Presidential Well-Wishers Special Agricultural Inputs Scheme in Harare last Friday, President Mugabe said Zimbabweans must not be misled into embracing same-sex unions.
The Head of State and Government and Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces praised countries that refused the conditional aid.
"You heard British Prime Minister Cameron saying all those countries that need help from Britain must accept gay rights. I said to myself, 'This is madness!'
"I am happy that some countries have refused that package." Cde Mugabe said the Bible and African culture did not make provision for homosexuality.
He said the human race would not expand if heterosexual marriages were replaced with gay and lesbian relationships. He said "unholy demands" for so-called gay rights were among the issues stalling the crafting of a new Constitution. "Things are very slow in the constitution-making process and we are beginning to lose patience. We had set this year for elections and others are dragging the process.
"It is either we have the Constitution and hold elections on the basis of that new Constitution or else we have elections on the basis of the present Constitution." The President said men should not make themselves "wives" to their counterparts.
"Kutoti murume naye naye mumu-bhedha. Iko kune mazirume akapusa kudaro anobvuma zvavo kuitwa vakadzi nezvimwe zvirume. (Some men are foolish enough to be coerced into homosexuality. There are such foolish men who accept being wives of other men)," he said, drawing wild ululation from the gathering.
"Togowanda sei kana tadaro? Vamwe venyu hamuchagona kana kuita vana vanopfuura two. Vakuru vedu vaisiverenga minwe, iye zvino hamuchagona kana kuverenga minwe yeruoko rumwe chete. (How are we going to multiply if we condone such a practice as homosexuality?
"Our elders used to count their fingers, denoting the number of children they would have.
"However, couples nowadays do not go beyond two children).
"We are not saying women should bear children year in, year out. It is a trying time, but there is joy at the end as we celebrate the birth of a new child."
In a recent interview on BBC TV's Andrew Marr Show, Mr Cameron said any country that required British aid was expected to respect homosexual rights.
He said legislation banning homosexuality should be repealed.
"We want to see countries that receive our aid adhering to proper human rights, and that includes how people treat gay and lesbian people . . . " he said.
"British aid should have more strings attached in terms of 'do you persecute people for their faith or their Christianity, or do you persecute people for their sexuality?' We do not think that is acceptable.''
Mr Cameron threatened over 41 states which, he said, were violating the rights of homosexuals.
Malawi, Uganda, Nigeria and Ghana were expected to be the first targets of the policy change.
In July this year, the British government withheld a US$30 million aid package to Malawi after two men were jailed for homosexuality in that country. Two weeks ago, Ghanaian President John Atta Mills declared that his country would not compromise its morals for money.
He said: "Let me also say that while we acknowledge all the financial assistance and all the aid which has been given to us by our development partners, we will not accept any aid with strings attached.
"Let me make one thing very clear; no one can deny Prime Minister Cameron his right to make policies, take initiatives or make statements that reflect his societal norms and ideals, but he does not have the right to direct other sovereign nations as to what they should do, especially when their societal norms and ideals are different from those which exist in Prime Minister Cameron's society."
Back home, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai is facing sharp criticism for supporting homosexuality.
The Church is among the key institutions condemning his lobby for the inclusion of gay rights in the proposed new constitution.
Speaking at the launch of the Presidential Well-Wishers Special Agricultural Inputs Scheme in Harare last Friday, President Mugabe said Zimbabweans must not be misled into embracing same-sex unions.
The Head of State and Government and Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces praised countries that refused the conditional aid.
"You heard British Prime Minister Cameron saying all those countries that need help from Britain must accept gay rights. I said to myself, 'This is madness!'
"I am happy that some countries have refused that package." Cde Mugabe said the Bible and African culture did not make provision for homosexuality.
He said the human race would not expand if heterosexual marriages were replaced with gay and lesbian relationships. He said "unholy demands" for so-called gay rights were among the issues stalling the crafting of a new Constitution. "Things are very slow in the constitution-making process and we are beginning to lose patience. We had set this year for elections and others are dragging the process.
"It is either we have the Constitution and hold elections on the basis of that new Constitution or else we have elections on the basis of the present Constitution." The President said men should not make themselves "wives" to their counterparts.
"Kutoti murume naye naye mumu-bhedha. Iko kune mazirume akapusa kudaro anobvuma zvavo kuitwa vakadzi nezvimwe zvirume. (Some men are foolish enough to be coerced into homosexuality. There are such foolish men who accept being wives of other men)," he said, drawing wild ululation from the gathering.
"Togowanda sei kana tadaro? Vamwe venyu hamuchagona kana kuita vana vanopfuura two. Vakuru vedu vaisiverenga minwe, iye zvino hamuchagona kana kuverenga minwe yeruoko rumwe chete. (How are we going to multiply if we condone such a practice as homosexuality?
"Our elders used to count their fingers, denoting the number of children they would have.
"However, couples nowadays do not go beyond two children).
"We are not saying women should bear children year in, year out. It is a trying time, but there is joy at the end as we celebrate the birth of a new child."
He said legislation banning homosexuality should be repealed.
"We want to see countries that receive our aid adhering to proper human rights, and that includes how people treat gay and lesbian people . . . " he said.
"British aid should have more strings attached in terms of 'do you persecute people for their faith or their Christianity, or do you persecute people for their sexuality?' We do not think that is acceptable.''
Mr Cameron threatened over 41 states which, he said, were violating the rights of homosexuals.
Malawi, Uganda, Nigeria and Ghana were expected to be the first targets of the policy change.
In July this year, the British government withheld a US$30 million aid package to Malawi after two men were jailed for homosexuality in that country. Two weeks ago, Ghanaian President John Atta Mills declared that his country would not compromise its morals for money.
He said: "Let me also say that while we acknowledge all the financial assistance and all the aid which has been given to us by our development partners, we will not accept any aid with strings attached.
"Let me make one thing very clear; no one can deny Prime Minister Cameron his right to make policies, take initiatives or make statements that reflect his societal norms and ideals, but he does not have the right to direct other sovereign nations as to what they should do, especially when their societal norms and ideals are different from those which exist in Prime Minister Cameron's society."
Back home, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai is facing sharp criticism for supporting homosexuality.
The Church is among the key institutions condemning his lobby for the inclusion of gay rights in the proposed new constitution.
Source - HeraldOnline
