Robert Mugabe could have been duped

President Mugabe could have been duped into signing into law the draconian Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (Aippa) which recognises gay and lesbian rights, the Daily News on Sunday exclusively reported.

The report says President Mugabe, will be shell-shocked to discover that Aippa actually recognises the privacy of gays and lesbians.

There are allegations that there are a number of top Zanu PF officials who have made millions of dollars due to their gay inclinations but who denounce gays and lesbians to blind Mugabe.

It is not clear if the proponents of Aippa and those who backed it in Parliament were aiming at protecting their interests or they did it ignorantly.

Former ZBC chief executive officer Alum Mpofu was caught engaging in gay acts at a popular night club in Harare and was subsequently fired having been brought to the corporation when Moyo was information minister.

Popular disc jockey Kelvin Ncube, who was employed at the then ZBC Radio Three, now Power FM, fled the country after questions emerged over his sexual orientation. "She" effectively proclaimed "the correct orientation" after securing asylum in the United Kingdom.

Reads section 33 of Aippa: "Protection of personal information: The head of a public body shall protect personal information that is under his custody or control by taking reasonable steps to ensure that there is adequate security and there is no unauthorised access, collection, use, disclosure or disposal of such personal information."

Section 25 of the Act reads: "Protection of information relating to personal privacy: (1) The head of a public body shall not disclose personal information to an applicant if the disclosure will result in the unreasonable invasion of a third party's personal privacy."

According to the same Act, "personal information" is defined and includes a person's age, sex and sexual orientation, marital and family status.

A group of Zanu PF officials also smuggled gay rights into the 2000 draft constitution which was rejected by the people but was supported by Mugabe's party.

According to information at hand, some Zanu PF officials in the Constitutional Commission, some of whom helped craft Aippa, had smuggled gay rights under a section on natural differences in the 2000 draft.

This, according to those who were part of the Constitutional Commission, was meant to attract donor funds. Top Harare lawyer Selby Hwacha said Aippa clearly recognised gay rights.