News / National
Mugabe forced to host gays, lesbians
07 Sep 2015 at 13:41hrs | Views
PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe does not hide his disdain for gays and lesbians and is on record describing homosexuals as "worse that pigs and dogs" and homosexuality as a "white problem".
Mugabe's 1995 attack on the Gays and Lesbians Association of Zimbabwe (Galz) precipitated a downward spiral of the fortunes of the ZIBF, leading to the resignation of four of the 18 trustees, and high-level protests from human rights organisations, foreign governments and well-known African authors and governments which funded the fair.
Now, with less than three months before the opening of the International Conference on Aids and STIs in Africa (Icasa) conference set for December, Mugabe will once again be in the spotlight.
A growing number of governments on the continent and beyond have since categorised gays and lesbians as a "key population" to attend the event along with sex workers and intravenous drug users.
Health and Child Care minister David Parirenyatwa, under pressure from international partners to state the country's position, buckled under and issued a statement guaranteeing the rights of "key populations", including gays and lesbians.
"Zimbabwe is committed to achieving the Global Fast Track Targets set by UNAids. Zimbabwe has identified populations that are key to the epidemic to inform the national programming and acknowledge the diversity of key populations as defined by other countries in line with global standards," Parirenyatwa said in a statement.
"As the vice-president of the Icasa 2015, I commit to take necessary steps to ensure a fully inclusive planning process. The committee will work with all relevant ministries, civic society, affected communities and partners to ensure that the Icasa represents the diversity that exists in the diverse response globally."
Parirenyatwa added; "We assure our partners that the planning committee is working on various issues that go with handling an event of this magnitude. We are one to learn from experiences elsewhere and to incorporate continental best practices in our planning so that the integrity of the Icasa is fully upheld."
Mugabe's 1995 attack on the Gays and Lesbians Association of Zimbabwe (Galz) precipitated a downward spiral of the fortunes of the ZIBF, leading to the resignation of four of the 18 trustees, and high-level protests from human rights organisations, foreign governments and well-known African authors and governments which funded the fair.
Now, with less than three months before the opening of the International Conference on Aids and STIs in Africa (Icasa) conference set for December, Mugabe will once again be in the spotlight.
A growing number of governments on the continent and beyond have since categorised gays and lesbians as a "key population" to attend the event along with sex workers and intravenous drug users.
"Zimbabwe is committed to achieving the Global Fast Track Targets set by UNAids. Zimbabwe has identified populations that are key to the epidemic to inform the national programming and acknowledge the diversity of key populations as defined by other countries in line with global standards," Parirenyatwa said in a statement.
"As the vice-president of the Icasa 2015, I commit to take necessary steps to ensure a fully inclusive planning process. The committee will work with all relevant ministries, civic society, affected communities and partners to ensure that the Icasa represents the diversity that exists in the diverse response globally."
Parirenyatwa added; "We assure our partners that the planning committee is working on various issues that go with handling an event of this magnitude. We are one to learn from experiences elsewhere and to incorporate continental best practices in our planning so that the integrity of the Icasa is fully upheld."
Source - the standard
