Namibia
Gay's legal rights to be discussed in Namibian Parliament

afrol.com, 31 October - Namibia's Minister of Home Affairs, Jerry Ekandjo, has to answer for his recent homophobic statements in Parliament tomorrow. He will be asked for the legal base of his call to "eliminate" gays from Namibia.

The issue of gays and lesbians came into the spotlight in the Namibian National Assembly on 24 October when Congress of Democrats (CoD) MP Rosa Namises gave notice that on 1 November she will ask Home Affairs Minister Jerry Ekandjo about his recent homophobic statements. 

- Which laws of the Republic of Namibia require the arrest of gays and lesbians? If there are such laws, are they constitutional or do they need to be abolished or amended in line with the Constitution of the Republic of Namibia? she is to ask the Minister tomorrow. "What exactly does the Honourable Minister mean by his call to ‘eliminate gays and lesbians from the face of Namibia’? What does he intend to say with his claim that ‘even gays and lesbians would murder a gay dog’? Is he saying gays and lesbians should be murdered?" are the follow up questions the Minister will have to answer. 

Jerry Ekandjo made these statements to a group of 700 newly graduated policemen and women at the police training college at Ondangwa, in the north of Namibia, one month ago. These threats have later been repeated by traditional leaders in Northern Namibia, giving Ekandjo their full support. President Sam Nujoma also gave his indirect support by stating, on the same occasion, that those who are unwilling to adhere to cultural norms should be "whipped".

MP Rosa Namises demands to know the legal basis for these statements. She has also asked Prime Minister Hage Geingob to comment on Ekandjo’s homophobic statements. She questioned the Prime Minister: "Are the statements calling for the arrest and elimination of gays and lesbians from the face of Namibia part of a broader government policy on this issue? Does he personally stand by his statement of past years that the human rights of gays and lesbians are protected under the Bill of Rights of the Constitution of Namibia? What can he [the Prime Minister] do to promote dialogue between the gay and lesbian community in Namibia and members of the Government and Parliament in order to promote a climate of tolerance, equity and peace?

The legal status of homosexuals in Namibia indeed is unclear. While some politicians claim homosexuality is illegal in the country, court rulings indicate the opposite. On 25 June, for example, the High Court ruled that lesbian partners have the same rights as heterosexual couples in a legal suit were a lesbian foreign women fought for her right to stay in Namibia based on her relationship with another woman.

The International Lesbian and Gays Association (ILGA) maintains that "lesbian and gay rights are human rights" and is alienated by the widespread criminalization of homosexuality in Africa. Homosexuality is illegal for gay men in 29 African countries and for lesbian women in 20 countries.

Sources: Based on Namibian Government and ILGA

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