Metro

Gay rights activists tackle Ugandan President Museveni over anti-homosexuality bill

Published

2 years ago

March 23, 2023

Gay rights activists in Uganda have reacted negatively to the country’s parliament passing an Anti-Homosexuality Act Bill which criminalizes same-sex relations.

The Ugandan lawmakers on Tuesday, passed the Bill despite concerns from gay rights groups and international bodies which sees it as a clampdown on the rights of gays and lesbians in the eastern African country.

The Bill stipulates that offenders face a penalty which include 20 years in prison for promotion of homosexuality and child recruitment, while “attempted homosexuality” calls for 10 years in prison.

It also prescribes the death penalty for anyone who forces children, people with disabilities, people with mental illness and those of advanced age into an act of homosexuality.

As the Bill awaits official assent from President Yoweri Museveni who is expected to sign it into law as he has been a strong advocate of criminalizing homosexuality not just in the country but in Africa, gay rights supporters have called on him to override the parliament and refrain from signing the Act into law.

Regional Director of Amnesty International in East and Southern Africa, Tigere Chagutah, in a statement on Thursday, said the Anti-Homosexuality Bill amounts to a grave assault on LGBTQ people and is contemptuous of the Ugandan constitution.

Speaking in like manner,
Roland Ebole, an Amnesty International regional researcher, said the bill, if signed into law, will encourage anti-LGBTQ activity instead of discouraging it, as well as promoting homophobia and discrimination.

“This provision will encourage homophobia, it will encourage discrimination, and will discourage human rights advocates and nongovernmental organizations from carrying out their work,” Ebole said.

“And it is very vague in terms of what this promotion is when it says promotion of homosexuality,” Ebole added.

The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has also called on Museveni not to sign the bill which he described as among the worst of its kind in the world and a deeply troubling development.

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Metro

Zambia: Expert warns of food security threat due to climate change

Published

15 hours ago

December 22, 2024

Isaac Dachen

A prominent Zambian climate-smart agriculture expert, Oliver Bulaya, has warned of a collapse of the county’s agricultural sector with a potential threat to food security due to the worsening impact of climate change.

Bulaya, who bared his mind in an interview with Zambia Monitor on Friday, warned that ignoring the crisis could lead to severe disruptions in the country’s food supply and economy.

“Unless concerted efforts are made, the country will continue facing dire consequences from climate change,” the expert noted.

He lamented a growing trend of farmers relocating to regions experiencing above-normal rainfall, such as the northern block, as they struggle with losses caused by climate variability.

Bulaya emphasized that the once-reliable rainfall areas like North-Western Zambia are now experiencing lower precipitation, as seen during the 2023/2024 farming season and cautioned that poor farming practices, which had already strained the Southern region, could lead to similar challenges in other parts of the country if proactive measures were not implemented.

Metro

Outrage over murder of Nigerian beaten to death by South Africans inside estate security office

Published

20 hours ago

December 22, 2024

Isaac Dachen

The Nigerian community, under the auspices of Nigerian Citizens Association in South Africa (NICASA), has raised the alarm over the murder of a 37-year-old Nigerian, Julius Chukwunta, who was beaten to death by four South Africans inside an estate.

According to the association, Chukwunta, a native of Aninri Local Government Area in Enugu State, was reportedly attacked on Saturday, December 7, while driving to his residence in Midrand Protea Estate.

In a statement issued on Saturday by the President-General of NICASA, Dr Frank Onyekwelu, Chukwunta was blocked by the four men while approaching his residence.

Onyekwelu stated that information available to the association noted that after attempting to pass through, Chukwunta was met with resistance by the assailants, prompting him to seek help at the security office of the estate.

“At that moment, the four men allegedly attacked him, leaving him severely injured with a head wound,” the PG said.

“His female companion, who was sitting in the car, rushed to the security office and discovered him bleeding on the ground.

“In spite of attempts to call for help, the security office and residents did not assist in calling the police or an ambulance.

“After an hour, Chukwunta’s partner contacted her father, who, along with other family members, took him to Tembisa General Hospital.

“Chukwunta was placed on life support but later succumbed to his injuries and died at the Tembisa General Hospital on December 10, 2024.”

Onyekwelu also confirmed that the case was reported to the police by Chukwunta’s partner at the Midrand Police Station and was registered under file number 262/12/2024.

The NICASA President said the four suspects, aged 20, 24, 27, and 28, were arrested, and the case was presented in Alexandra Magistrate Court on December 13, 2024, where they were charged with murder.

“The court proceedings on December 18, 2024, saw three of the suspects granted bail of R10,000 each, while the fourth had not yet applied for bail. The case was adjourned to February 3, 2025.”

Onyekwelu however, expressed disappointment at the proceedings, wondering why three of the suspects were released on bail and vowed that the Nigerian community would continue to demand justice for Chukwunta and support his family.

He emphasised that the community would not rest until justice was served and the value of Nigerian lives was upheld in South Africa.