News / National
Trump funding cuts major blow for Zimbabwe LGBTIQ+ rights
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The recent reduction in US government funding for LGBTIQ+ programmes has dealt a severe blow to public health and human rights services in Zimbabwe, leaving vulnerable communities exposed to heightened health risks and social exclusion, local advocacy groups and health experts warn.
For years, US funding has supported a wide range of critical services for LGBTIQ+ individuals - including HIV prevention and treatment, mental health support, and rights-based advocacy. But these hard-won gains now face serious setbacks.
Mojalifa Ndlovu, national chairperson of the Zimbabwe Key Populations Forum, described the situation as "devastating" in an interview with StandardPeople.
"We are seeing a reversal of the progress we have made over the years in improving access to health services for key populations," Ndlovu said. "With the withdrawal of US support, programmes that once prioritised LGBTIQ+ individuals are now being scaled back or entirely shut down."
One affected organisation is Population Solutions for Health, whose New Start Centre network of clinics has long prioritised key populations such as transgender individuals and commercial sex workers for HIV testing, counselling, and treatment. Since the cessation of US aid, many are left without urgently needed care.
Among the most severely impacted are HIV prevention and treatment programmes, mental health services, and advocacy efforts for legal reforms to advance LGBTIQ+ rights.
Ndlovu warned that these funding cuts have increased the vulnerability of already at-risk groups. "Without these services, our community members face increased discrimination, isolation, and health risks. This is not just a funding issue but a humanitarian crisis," he said.
In response, affected organisations are scrambling to find alternative funding sources, including private sector donors, European governments, UN agencies, and grassroots fundraising. However, Ndlovu stressed that these stopgap measures are insufficient.
"We need more than just temporary aid. We need strategic partnerships and consistent funding to ensure the resilience of LGBTIQ+ programming," he said.
As Zimbabwe and neighbouring Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries grapple with the ripple effects of these aid cuts amid complex socio-political challenges, concerns grow that reversing support for key populations could undo years of public health progress and deepen existing inequalities.
"If we truly care about health equity and human rights, we cannot afford to leave the LGBTIQ+ community behind," Ndlovu urged.
Echoing these concerns, Sam Ndlovu, executive director of Trans Research Education Advocacy and Training, called on African nations to develop sustainable, locally driven solutions for LGBTIQ+ challenges.
"What a time we live in today, where the Western world's understanding of championing people's rights has come under question, and a stronger individualistic stance is taking root," Sam said.
"A strong message is being sent to the rest of the world that each nation must rely on its own homegrown solutions."
He highlighted the strength of African values rooted in community solidarity and mutual support. "I am prouder than ever to be an African, knowing full well that our society is built on the belief that umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu - a person is a person through others," he said. "Our survival and prosperity as a community are guaranteed by the strength of the whole."
Yet Sam expressed concern over rising hostility towards queer communities, warning that oppressive colonial-era ideologies are now being replaced by subtler forms of marginalisation cloaked in cultural rhetoric.
"There is a creeping sense of fear. Never before has there been such an intense obsession with the queer community," he noted. "The colonial devil of division and hatred is being replaced with a deceiving rhetoric of ‘values', values that Africa has always articulated well and which cannot be better taught from outside. Unity and resilience have always been part of our DNA."
As the funding landscape shifts and uncertainty looms, activists are calling on both local and international stakeholders not only to restore vital support but also to uphold the values of equity, dignity, and justice for all.
For years, US funding has supported a wide range of critical services for LGBTIQ+ individuals - including HIV prevention and treatment, mental health support, and rights-based advocacy. But these hard-won gains now face serious setbacks.
Mojalifa Ndlovu, national chairperson of the Zimbabwe Key Populations Forum, described the situation as "devastating" in an interview with StandardPeople.
"We are seeing a reversal of the progress we have made over the years in improving access to health services for key populations," Ndlovu said. "With the withdrawal of US support, programmes that once prioritised LGBTIQ+ individuals are now being scaled back or entirely shut down."
One affected organisation is Population Solutions for Health, whose New Start Centre network of clinics has long prioritised key populations such as transgender individuals and commercial sex workers for HIV testing, counselling, and treatment. Since the cessation of US aid, many are left without urgently needed care.
Among the most severely impacted are HIV prevention and treatment programmes, mental health services, and advocacy efforts for legal reforms to advance LGBTIQ+ rights.
Ndlovu warned that these funding cuts have increased the vulnerability of already at-risk groups. "Without these services, our community members face increased discrimination, isolation, and health risks. This is not just a funding issue but a humanitarian crisis," he said.
In response, affected organisations are scrambling to find alternative funding sources, including private sector donors, European governments, UN agencies, and grassroots fundraising. However, Ndlovu stressed that these stopgap measures are insufficient.
"We need more than just temporary aid. We need strategic partnerships and consistent funding to ensure the resilience of LGBTIQ+ programming," he said.
"If we truly care about health equity and human rights, we cannot afford to leave the LGBTIQ+ community behind," Ndlovu urged.
Echoing these concerns, Sam Ndlovu, executive director of Trans Research Education Advocacy and Training, called on African nations to develop sustainable, locally driven solutions for LGBTIQ+ challenges.
"What a time we live in today, where the Western world's understanding of championing people's rights has come under question, and a stronger individualistic stance is taking root," Sam said.
"A strong message is being sent to the rest of the world that each nation must rely on its own homegrown solutions."
He highlighted the strength of African values rooted in community solidarity and mutual support. "I am prouder than ever to be an African, knowing full well that our society is built on the belief that umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu - a person is a person through others," he said. "Our survival and prosperity as a community are guaranteed by the strength of the whole."
Yet Sam expressed concern over rising hostility towards queer communities, warning that oppressive colonial-era ideologies are now being replaced by subtler forms of marginalisation cloaked in cultural rhetoric.
"There is a creeping sense of fear. Never before has there been such an intense obsession with the queer community," he noted. "The colonial devil of division and hatred is being replaced with a deceiving rhetoric of ‘values', values that Africa has always articulated well and which cannot be better taught from outside. Unity and resilience have always been part of our DNA."
As the funding landscape shifts and uncertainty looms, activists are calling on both local and international stakeholders not only to restore vital support but also to uphold the values of equity, dignity, and justice for all.
Source - The Standard
