Political and religious leaders in Zambia are being accused of fueling growing anti-LGBTQ+ sentiments across the nation, leaving many in the rainbow community fearful.
Just weeks after Zambia’s Minister of Information and Media, Chushi Kasanda, reinforced the government’s commitment to upholding the country’s laws criminalising homosexuality, another Minister has also reaffirmed his condemnation of the LGBTQ+ community.
“The government stands firm that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender practice is illegal in Zambia,” Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security, Jack Mwimbu, told members of parliament.
According to The Lusaka Times, Mwimbu revealed that since 1 January, Zambian Police had recorded 18 cases of “sodomy” across the country, with 14 cases leading to arrests. One individual is reported to be convicted and sentenced to seven years in prison with hard labour – While the remaining cases still being investigated.
Along with anti-LGBTQ+ sentiments being spread by politicians, the Catholic Church in Zambia has also come out in support of the persecution of LGBTQ+ individuals calling for “A call to action against offensive tendencies.”
The comments which were made by Archbishop of Lusaka, Rev Dr Alick Banda, in a memo dated 22 September, claimed that “we have witnessed an increase in the number of incidents and events that promote LGBTQ+ tendencies contrary to the Laws of Zambia and our Zambian culture”.
Banda has also claimed that there has “been an increase in the number of incidents of sodomy where boys and men are raped by fellow boys and men with impunity.”
“If nothing is done to raise awareness among our people, LGBTQ+ will become an acceptable norm in Zambia despite the existence of laws that criminalises these activities and worse still being offensive to our Cultural and Christian values,” Banda continued.
In response to the comments, Anold Mulaisho, a gay refugee from Zambia living in South Africa, urged members of the LGBTQ+ community in his country to “exercise caution on dating apps, in clubs and anywhere you meet others,” adding that “the country is not safe anymore.”
Speaking with Mambaonline, Mulaisho explained that he is aware of LGBTQ+ individuals being targeted via dating apps in Zambia. “There are some incidents that came up where others were outed from Grindr, and then they take them, they beat them up, and some are then taken to prison at the police station.”
Under Zambia’s colonial-era penal code, individuals convicted of same-sex sexual activity face sentences of up to life in prison.
