Prospects of a large church congress in Zimbabwe has given impetus to the gay rights movement, writes Iden Wetherell in Harare
ZIMBABWE’s embattled gay community, the target of an abusive campaign last year by President Robert Mugabe and Zimbabwean church leaders, is bracing for another confrontation with the same opponents.
A proposal by international Protestant umbrella body, the World Council of Churches (WCC), to hold its 1998 assembly in Zimbabwe has led to early skirmishing in which the president of the Zimbabwe Council of Churches (ZCC), Anglican bishop of Harare Jonathan Siyachitema, has repeated anti-gay remarks made last year when he supported Mugabe’s view that gays and lesbians had “no rights whatsoever”.
This time, however, the country’s small gay advocacy organisation, Galz (Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe), believes it has considerable leverage. The WCC is insisting on dialogue over the gay rights issue ahead of the assembly and wants gay delegates to be able to hold demonstrations on the University of Zimbabwe campus where the meeting will be held. Over 3 500 delegates and 200 journalists are expected to attend.
The ZCC has moved quietly behind the scenes to assure the WCC its delegates will not be harassed or barred from entering the country.
Siyachitema, however, continues to adopt a combative posture saying that while gay rights will be on the WCC agenda, “homosexuality is a sin and there can be no compromise on that”. He said he was grateful the government had taken a strong stance against homosexuality in accordance with church principles.
“The gathering at the University of Zimbabwe will be open for discussion on the topic but if people want to masquerade as homosexuals from the university we declare that the law must take its course,” Siyachitema warned in remarks clearly directed at Galz.
However, other church spokesmen said the bishop had gone too far, and accused him of “political appeasement”. Siyachitema’s remarks were “most unfortunate and compromised the pastoral responsibilities of the church”, said Jonah Gokova, co-ordinator of Ecumenical Support Services, a church-related non-governmental organisation helping to prepare for the WCC assembly.
David Hatendi, the former Anglican bishop of Harare, last week called for the government and ZCC to set up a commission of inquiry into homosexuality ahead of the 1998 meeting.
Representatives of Galz met a church group last week to determine a basis for dialogue. Galz’s organisational capacity has been boosted by the donation of Z$600 000 (nearly R300 000) from Dutch funding agency Hivos with more to come next year, a move that is bound to infuriate Mugabe.
“Galz can play a prominent role in building a plural and democratic society,” said Hivos director Jan Vossen.
Mugabe’s anti-gay campaign last year ran into strong opposition from foreign governments and South African civics. The president is however believed to be still looking for ways to promote Zimbabwe as an “Africanist” alternative to Nelson Mandela’s rainbow nation. Asked recently about hostile global reaction to his gay-bashing, Mugabe said “the world can go to hell”.
Last weekend Galz held a well-attended gay pride party in Harare, marking the anniversary of Stonewall.
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