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New Constitution-making process - Index of articles
GALZ
statement on Prime Minister Tsvangirai’s comments
Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe (GALZ)
March 07, 2013
Statements attributed
to Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai in the Herald edition of Thursday
7 March 2013, as well as the online version of the Herald where
he is quoted as having said those who want to marry another from
the same sex have a problem addressing MDC-T supporters in Glenview
are reckless and unfortunate coming from the Prime Minister.
GALZ is of the
view that Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s statements fuel
public prejudice against LGBTI individuals and contradict the very
preamble of a draft
constitution that he is seemingly promoting. The Preamble of the
draft Constitution states that:
“United in our
diversity by our common desire for freedom, justice and equality,
and our heroic resistance to colonialism, racism and all forms of
domination,
Reaffirming our commitment
to upholding and defending fundamental human rights and freedoms,
Cherishing freedom, peace,
justice, tolerance, prosperity and patriotism in search of new frontiers
under a common destiny”
His utterances justify
that he has failed to practice and support a very important affirmation
of the draft constitution. He also fails to uphold his commitment
to human rights and the acceptance of diversity. The Prime Minister
has been jolted into castigating violence in Headlands recently
however we find him equally guilty of inciting violence and advocating
hatred and hate speech on the LGBTI community in Zimbabwe.
We deplore the Prime
Minister’s statements, coming sadly on the eve of International
Women’s Day Celebrations and just days before Zimbabweans
vote in a referendum.
It is our view that Political
leaders in Zimbabwe continue to pander to public prejudices against
LGBTI individuals through public statements that justify the exclusion
and abuse of anyone suspected of being lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender
or intersex.
GALZ shares
the common desire of Zimbabweans for freedom, justice and equality,
as promoted in the Preamble of the first draft
of the Constitution. GALZ believes that, in recognising the diversity
and rights of all people in Zimbabwe, we should also recognise that
some Zimbabweans are attracted to people of the same sex. We believe
that the Constitution is not the appropriate forum to give effect
to the private beliefs held by some that same-sex couples should
not be married.
Zimbabwe has
come too far in its constitutional
reform process to debase this process by showing an outright
desire to harm a politically unpopular group without any legitimate
government interest.
Visit the GALZ
fact
sheet
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