Metro

African LGBTQ+ community finds voice in South Africa as over 20,000 ‘march for Uganda’

Published

1 year ago

October 28, 2023

There might be something to cheer for the LGBTQ+ community across Africa amidst recent hard measures against it, as over 20,000 people marched through Johannesburg on Saturday in solidarity with the community across the continent.

The march, regarded as the Pride, featured singing, dancing, and expressing support for LGBTQ+ communities across Africa which cannot be open safely and whose relationships are criminalised.

Having only been in South Africa for a month and a half, Mandela Swali, a 25-year-old gay man from Uganda, led the parade that had an estimated 24,000 participants. Swali described how, in 2021, he had left his home country on bail after being arrested for having sex with his boyfriend.

“This is the space and this is the family I deserve to have right now. I feel like I’m at home,” Swali said.

A law prohibiting the LGBTQ community was passed by the Ugandan legislature in May. Several of the stringent regulations established in March were incorporated into the legislation, which drew strong criticism from the international community, including the United States, the European Union, the United Nations, and major corporations at the time.

“Our intention today is to march for Uganda … for LGBT communities in Africa that can’t march for themselves,” said Johannesburg Pride organizer, Kaye Ally.

Beyond Uganda, several African countries have strong legislations against people who identify with the LGBTQ movement. In March, Zambian President, Hakainde Hichilema warned advocates of the LGBTQ movement to desist from promoting homosexuality and insisted that the country “maintain laws that abhor alien orientations like gayism and lesbianism.”

Ghanaian lawmaker, Sam George has also been vocal against the community and recently called out the Vice President of the United States over her advocacy for African tolerance for the LGBTQ community.

In 2006, South Africa became the first and remains the only African country to legalize same-sex marriage, with a constitution that also protects against discrimination based on sexual orientation. Others, like Angola, Mozambique, Botswana, Lesotho, Mauritius and Seychelles all have laws in favour of the community in Africa.

Related Topics:Featured LGBTQ South Africa Uganda

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Metro

Catholic bishops in Zambia decry ‘shrinking democratic space’, hounding of opposition parties

Published

11 hours ago

November 18, 2024

Isaac Dachen

The Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops (ZCCB) has decried what it describes as a shrinking and deteriorating democratic environment, marked by the arrests and prolonged detention of opposition leaders.

In a letter signed and issued by all 11 Catholic Bishops in Zambia in Lusaka on Sunday, the clerics lamented that at least six opposition leaders were currently facing charges linked to their political activities, highlighting what they termed as a significant restriction of democratic freedoms.

“We are gravely concerned by the shrinking democratic space in the country. For example, about six or more opposition leaders are facing the law simply because of their participation in political activism,” the letter stated.

The Catholic Bishops called on the ruling United Party for National Development (UPND) to ensure fairness in the political landscape.

“We urge the government to tolerate divergent views and promote democracy in the country,” they said.

The Bishops also condemned the prolonged detention of political figures, journalists, and other individuals without trial, asserting that such practices undermine democratic principles.

“Of concern is the detention of individuals, journalists, and opposition political leaders for expressing their views on governance issues,” the letter read.

The pastoral letter also criticized the UPND government for its use of derogatory language against the Church, referencing UPND Secretary-General Batuke Imenda’s labelling of Lusaka Archbishop Alick Banda as “Lucifer.”

“The Church expected Mr. Imenda to apologize for his remarks, as they were not only an insult to Archbishop Banda but to the entire Catholic Church,” the Bishops emphasized.

The letter further condemned the deployment of police officers to the Cathedral of the Child Jesus, viewing it as a form of intimidation.

Metro

Nigerian economy to grow in leaps and bounds in 2025, VP Shettima predicts

Published

15 hours ago

November 18, 2024

Isaac Dachen

Nigeria’s Vice President, Kashim Shettima, has predicted that the country’s economy will grow in leaps and bounds in 2025 due to the reforms put in place by President Bola Tinubu.

Shettima, who made the projection at a retreat organized for presidential aides in Abuja, gave reasons for his optimism, citing economic improvements recorded so far, including crude oil production reaching 1.8 million barrels per day.

Shettima emphasized that despite the challenges confronting Nigeria, the nation’s economy was on the path to growth due to Tinubu’s policies and determination to transform the economy for the benefit of all Nigerians.

“President Bola Tinubu is determined to change the fortunes of the nation. We all want to bequeath to the younger generation a united and progressive country,” Shettima said.

He emphasized that though the Nigerian economy is facing challenges, the current government is doing everything possible to turn things around.

“Yes, the economy has faced and is still facing challenges, but we have turned the corner. As of now, we are producing 1.8 million barrels of oil per day. The economy is on an upward trajectory, and I believe that in the new year, the economy will grow in leaps and bounds.”

“The country is greater than all of us. I urge you all to work as a team and as a family.”