From: Keith Goddard - GALZ Cultural Project <[email-masked]>

Statement from The Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe (GALZ) Cultural Project
Harare, 4 February 1997

Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe (GALZ) is sickened and disgusted by the
growing campaign of vilification against homosexuals in Namibia. It is
deeply sad that President Nujoma and SWAPO should see fit to chorus
the same ignorant rantings that have spewed from the mouths of politicians
in Zimbabwe. In light of the progress of social enlightenment in Southern
Africa, it is shameful and humiliating for civil societies in our region to
be persecuted by governments that still reinforce hatred, divisions and
oppression.

It is the duty of politicians to guarantee safety and respect to all the
citizens of a nation; it is thoroughly distasteful for them to play with
vulnerable minorities as political scapegoats. Social development begins
with a freeing of the mind, not with the instigation of witch hunts against
potentially unpopular communities.

SWAPO needs to learn at great speed that its campaign cannot succeed. In
Zimbabwe, GALZ has stood firm against all acts of oppression and we
continue to defend our rights. Far from being uprooted, the gay movement
in Zimbabwe has moved from strength to strength and has earned respect for
its determination not to be bullied. Gay people in Namibia have given every
indication that they will stand firm and they will receive every support
and encouragement from GALZ to continue with their struggle.

The ruling party here, ZANU-PF, also threatened to uproot what it labelled
the "white-man's disease" of "homosexualism". The result has been a massive
influx of black Zimbabwean homosexuals into the gay movement. These gay
blacks are determined to declare their existence and to stand up for their
African dignity. The Zimbabwean government has repeatedly tried to silence
GALZ through defamatory campaigns in the media, spurious banning orders and
threats of violence; at every turn the government has been thoroughly
defeated by GALZ and its supporters.

If SWAPO continues with its witch hunt, it can only expect to fall victim
to the same humiliation and ridicule that ZANU has experienced in Zimbabwe
and within the international community.

In future, politicians in our region should avail themselves of accurate
information before lurching into dangerous pronouncements on subjects about
which they are profoundly ignorant. Far from being un-African, the
continuing research in Zimbabwe continues to unearth overwhelming evidence
of homosexuality existing in pre-colonial Africa, but the minds of many of
our Southern Africa political leaders remain thoroughly colonised by
Victorian dogma which they now have the audacity to claim is the backbone
of our African cultural heritage.

GALZ extends the arm of solidarity to the Rainbow Project and all other
gender-rights activists in Namibia. The Southern African gay movement will
never allow the rantings of misguided would-be dictators in our region to
go unchecked; under no circumstances will we tolerate victimisation or put
up with the violent abuse and harassment of our community. We are not
frightened, we belong in Southern African and we are not going away.

Keith Goddard - GALZ Cultural Project
 <[email-masked]>