Zimbabwe’s Political Factions Agree: No Rights for Gays

Jim Burroway

March 26th, 2010

Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe (left) and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai (right)

Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe (left) and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai (right)

Zimbabwe’s Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, who holds office as part of an extremely contentious and tenuous power-sharing agreement with President Robert Mugabe after defeating Mugabe in 2008 elections despite massive fraud, managed to find agreement with the president one at least one issue. Tsvangirai told a group gathered at a belated International Women’s Day event that he supported Mugabe’s dismissal of efforts to include gay rights in the new constitution.

Mugabe, who has previously called gay people “worse than dogs and pigs,” told the gathering:

“That issue is not debatable, it’s not up for discussion,” he said, according the Zimbabwe Herald. “It is just madness, insanity. The ancestors will turn in their graves should we allow this to happen.”

Tsvangirai agreed with the president. “Women make up 52 percent of the population,” he said. “There are more women than men, so why should men be proposing to men?”

anteros

March 26th, 2010

Sad, but not surprising. Tsvangirai may have made lots of personal sacrifices for his country, but he’s never been a big thinker. After years of riding on anti-Mugabe sentiments in an attempt to scramble his way into power, he decided “hey, if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em!”

John

March 26th, 2010

At the risk of invoking Godwin’s Law…nice Hiterlesque mustache Mr. President! How appropriate.

Aaron

March 27th, 2010

This is so sad for me, I have a great deal of respect for Tsvangirai for his past political actions, and I truly believe he is the greatest hope for Zimbabwe’s future after Mugabe finally dies, so I hate that he follows along in his culture with this nonsense.

Sadly, it’s not surprising.

Paul in Canada

March 27th, 2010

Ignorance is the foundation of hatred.

Rob

March 28th, 2010

*sigh* Maybe the country should have remained Rhodesia.

anteros

March 28th, 2010

i thought Zimbabwe’s current anti-gay laws were adopted from Rhodesia. were LGBT rights any better back then?

paul canning

March 29th, 2010

There are a number of questions about this, including its reporting. See Is Morgan Tsvangirai’s anti-gay talk just political posturing? http://madikazemi.blogspot.com/2010/03/is-morgan-tsvangirais-anti-gay-talk.html

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