(NYASATIMES) Church welcomes lengthy jail for gay couple

Church welcomes lengthy jail for gay couple
By Nyasa Times
Published: May 21, 2010

Presbyterian Church in Malawi has welcomed a 14-year jail sentence handed down to two Malawian men accused of homosexual offences after publicly holding a traditional engagement ceremony in a country where same-sex relationships are a crime.

“As a church, we don’t support homosexuality or same-sex marriages. That is both un-African and un-Christian,” the Rev. Levi Nyondo, general secretary of the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian, Livingstonia Synod said.

“We are happy they have been sentenced to 14 years in jail,” Nyondo (pictured) said.

A Magistrate’s Court gave Steven Monjeza, 20, and Tiwonge Chimbalanga, 26, the maximum sentence of 14 years in prison after convicting them of buggery and gross indecency. The two men were arrested on December 28 after their engagement ceremony.

Livingstonia Synod Moderator Reverend Mezuwa Banda said the judgment reflected the Malawian stand on homosexuality. Rev Mezuwa Banda said there was need to safeguard the country’s culture with or without donor help.

He said homosexuality was not a matter of rights as many international organization were putting it, saying rights have to be exercised to a limit.

And speaking on Capital Radio Straight Talk programme, Roman Catholic Bishop Montfort Sitima said homosexuality was part of the evils of the society which the church condemns.

“The church is there to promote the agenda of Jesus Christ. That is family life. Marriage is for a man and woman, period.

“Human rights are issues that have been written by people, human beings but what is guiding the church is from the scriptures,” he said.

Meanwhile, human rights activists against homosexuality in the country have asked the donor community not to use the sentence as conditionality to aid.

Malawi Watch Executive Director Billy Banda said: “Donors must not deny the country aid because of the sentence. Malawi is a sovereign state which has morals.”

However, Deputy Africa director of Amnesty International Michelle Kagari said her rights group had adopted Chimbalanga and Monjeza as “prisoners of conscience” and would continue to campaign on this matter and to work tirelessly to see that they were released unconditionally as soon as possible.

She said the harsh sentence for unnatural acts and gross indecency had been expected after the same judge convicted Tiwonge Chimbalanga and Steven Monjeza earlier this week under laws dating from the colonial era.

Malawi government has been defiant in the face of international criticism over the couple’s prosecution.

Another human rights group, ‘Section27’, called on the South African government to denounce the conviction of the gay couple.

The organisation wants the South African government to raise the matter with the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Section27.

Executive Director Mark Heywood in a statement said they believed the Malawian government needed to protect its citizen’s rights.

Heywood said continued action against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people in Zimbabwe, Malawi and Uganda was a gross violation of human rights.

Section27, which incorporates the Aids Law Project, is a South African-based public interest law centre.

According to its website, it seeks to influence, develop and use the law to protect, promote and advance human rights.