via Govt to tackle homosexuality in prisons 8 January 2015
The government has admitted that homosexuality is rife in prisons and says it wants to engage prison authorities to help prevent the spread of HIV among prisoners.
The issue of homosexuality is sensitive in Zimbabwe because of its politicisation by President Robert Mugabe and his Zanu (PF) party. He has described gay people as “worse that pigs and dogs” and threatened to deport foreign diplomats viewed as being supportive of homosexuality.
This has made it difficult for government officials to comment on the issue. Stakeholders in the health sector have been arguing that homosexuals should be included in HIV and AIDS programming.
Speaking to health reporters recently Dr Owen Mugurungi, the HIV and TB director in the Ministry of Health, said it was disastrous to ignore the fact that homosexuality was rife in the prisons. “We might want to deny that men have sex with men but we know that in prisons that thing does happen,” he said.
Chesterfield Samba, the director of Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe, applauded the move saying: “This is what we have been saying all along – that AIDS programmes should not be politicised because health knows no politics and we applaud the Health Ministry in ensuring health for all.”
He said government programming should address issues of stigma and discrimination, which have been a major problem. The response should address the structural and programmatic barriers that prevent no only prisoners from accessing services that address their health care needs, including access to information that is relevant, but also the LGBTI community.”
COMMENTS
perhaps the government could issue sawn of broom sticks/cucumbers and the prisoners could abuse themselves? I think that how the country feels anyway doesn’t it??