Namibia
Authorities repeat threats against Namibian homosexuals

afrol.com, 24 October - At a cultural gathering in Outapi, presided over by Namibian President Sam Nujoma, Chief Herman Iipumbu of Uukwambi threw his weight behind Home Affairs Minister Jerry Ekandjo, who a few weeks ago called upon the 700 new police graduates at Ondangwa to remove gays and lesbians from the face of Namibia. President Nujoma also asked traditional leaders and parents to "whip" those who are unwilling to adhere to cultural norms.

Namibian President Sam Nujoma said this on 20 October at Outapi in the Omusati region, 800 kilometres north of the Namibian capital, Windhoek, where he presented a congratulatory trophy to the Kaimbi Mundjele Cultural Group for its excellent performance in several cultural festivals in the country, the Namibian Government reports. 

Chief Iipumbu said it is against the culture that the youth of today are demanding for the protection of gays and lesbians in the country. According to the chief, lesbianism and homosexuality will lead the country to lose value and respect for culture. "There has been no protection of gays and lesbians in Namibia before, or sexual intercourse by a man to a fellow man, or woman to a fellow woman" Chief Iipumbu emphasized, adding that these are imported immoral practices from European countries. 

He stressed that the traditional leadership will never tolerate the practice of homosexuality and lesbianism in Namibia, and those who want to do it should go and do it in the countries where these practices are allowed. 

President Nujoma through weight to this statements by urging the traditional leaders and parents to "whip" those who are unwilling to adhere to cultural norms, "because culture is the fundamental source of respect and wisdom of any given nation." 

 

Minister of Homophobic Affairs, Jerry Ekandjo

Namibian Minister of Home Affairs, Jerry Ekandjo, four weeks ago made international headlines by urging a group of police constables to "eliminate" gays and lesbians "from the face of Namibia." President Nujoma earlier has made homophobic statements, in line with President Mugabe of Zimbabwe. The Rainbow Project, an organisation promoting gay and lesbian rights in Namibia, called on the government "to publicly reject" Ekandjo's remarks, but there have been no such steps.

Defending his homophobic statements, Ekandjo claimed that the Namibian "Constitution does not guarantee rights for gays and lesbians." The legal status of homosexuals in Namibia indeed is unclear. While some politcians 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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