Maravi

(HERALD) President, PM speak on gays

President, PM speak on gays
By Takunda Maodza

PRESIDENT Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai have strongly condemned efforts to include "gay rights" in the new constitution, saying Zimbabwe will never succumb to shameless foreign traditions.

Addressing hundreds of people at Chitungwiza Aquatic Complex for belated International Women’s Day celebrations, President Mugabe said the issue of "gay rights" was not even debatable.

"Zviito zvedzimwe nyika zvava kuda kupinda pakati pedu.

"KuBritain nana America ndakaona archbishop achitochatisa murume nemurume ndikati, ‘Mai vangu iwe, zvii izvozvo?’

"I want to see how they will procreate. If they manage, then I will admit that I do not know," President Mugabe said.

He added: "Three days ago ndakanzwa kuti nyaya yacho tiizeye paConstitution.

"Inozeyeka iyoyo nhai Mai Makone? (referring to Public Works Minister Theresa Makone, who was sitting at the high table).

"Haizeyeki. Kana kuitaura inotaurika sei? Vanozviita tinoti vanopengereka.

"It is just madness. Insanity. Hatingazviite tinopindukirwa nevakafa. Madzimai mupindire ipapo."

President Mugabe said the sanctity of a family revolved around a father, a mother and children.

"Kana tichitaura nyaya dzemhuri tinotaura zvababa, vana, naamai.

"If you are doing that (engaging in homosexuality) you are destroying nationhood," he said.

President Mugabe has previously described homosexuals as "worse than dogs and pigs".

PM Tsvangirai concurred saying: "President mataura nyaya yemagay rights, yevamwe varume vanofemera munzeve dzevamwe varume.

"Bodo, apowo handibvumirane nazvo. Unogodirei kutsvaga mumwe murume yet vakadzi make up 52 percent (of the population)? Varume titori vashoma," he said.

Turning to the commemorations, President Mugabe said Government recognised women’s "significant" role in society and was striving to accord them equality with their male counterparts.

He said since independence they had worked to address disparities between men and women as evidenced by the number of females now occupying positions of authority in Government and other institutions.

President Mugabe said Government allocated women farms under the land reform programme as a way of economically empowering them.

He said some sections of the society, particularly men, were using lobola as an excuse to abuse their wives and claiming women were only good for bearing children.

The President narrated how his mother, Ambuya Bona Mugabe, raised him after his father deserted the family for Bulawayo following the death of his brother — Michael — from food poisoning in 1934.

President Mugabe said Ambuya Mugabe not only took care of her children but her stepchildren as well after their father’s death in 1945.

He bemoaned domestic violence and urged authorities to deal thoroughly with the matter.

President Mugabe discouraged men from having "small houses".

The celebrations were held under the theme "Equal Rights, Equal Opportunities: Progress for All".

Labels: HOMOSEXUALITY, MORGAN TSVANGIRAI, MUGABE

posted by MrK @ 11:57 PM