Pastors take Tsvangirai to task over his support of homosexuality

Pastors from the Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe met Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai in Harare on Monday and asked him to clarify his position on homosexuality, among other issues.

PM Tsvangirai told the BBC Newsnight programme that homosexuality is a human right he wanted to see protected in the envisaged new constitution, a statement he repeated at his rallies on his return.
Mr Tsvangirai's utterances dovetailed with the announcement by British Prime Minister David Cameron who said his government would withdraw funding to countries that do not embrace gays rights in their statutes.

MDC-T's thematic document on the constitution-making process advocates the inclusion of homosexuality in the constitution.

Addressing journalists after the meeting, EFZ general secretary Reverend Lindani Dube said the Church wanted PM Tsvangirai to clearly state his views on homosexuality.

"In his (PM Tsvangirai) speech, he noted that he does not condone homosexuality and the church's plea was, let that come out very clear in the public domain," Rev Dube said.

"Obviously he noted that we have a challenge with the media, where media tend to politicise issues. As a church, we call upon the media to report objectively on all issues.

"The church is appealing that there be a very clear-cut position in as far as that issue of homosexuality is concerned."

Rev Dube said he doubted that homosexuality would be protected in the new constitution because Zimbabweans were governed by Christian values.

Copac has since thwarted MDC-T's bid to smuggle gay rights into the new constitution.
EFZ national treasurer Reverend Roy Musasiwa said PM Tsvangirai told them that he did not condone homosexuality.

"But there is also an issue of tolerance that we do not become like gods who want to judge and to condemn others because the very people we might judge and condemn are people who might need assistance in as far as their lifestyle is concerned," Rev Musasiwa said.

"Indeed, the tolerance for people as people is a very much God-given mandate that we must love and love means to love everybody.''

Rev Dube said they had also discussed the issue of political violence.

He said the Church had expressed gratitude to President Mugabe, PM Tsvangirai and Professor Welshman Ncube for organising a meeting of the Central Committee (Zanu-PF) and national executive members of the two MDC formations last Friday.

Rev Dube said the meeting would have to be non-political as they did not want to push a political agenda.

He said the meeting had also noted that the Church was supposed to play a crucial role in preaching the gospel of peace.

He said the Church had also requested to have an input in the code of conduct that will guide political parties.