Malawi to end ban on homosexual acts, says President Banda
Malawi President Joyce Banda has told Parliament that her government will repeal laws that discriminates against people based on sexual orientation.
In her first state of the nation address, President Banda said her government will overturn laws that criminalise same-sex liaisons .
“Indecency and unnatural acts laws shall be repealed,” she said.
Malawian religious groups have continued to demand that government does not bend down to western and other pressures to legalise homosexuality, one of the benchmarks under their prescribed ‘minority rights’ campaign.
Several church organisations argued that they do not want to alienate their faithful from the teachings of God who created man and wife to become one and procreate. They argue same sex marriages cannot be allowed in God-fearing and cultural strong Malawian norms.
The Islamic faith also said Malawi could not embrace same-sex liaisons.
However, human rights groups led by CEDEP of Gift Trapence and CHRR of Undule Mwakasungura, insist that minority rights, including those that encourage same sex marriages, should be promoted.
Malawi had faced international condemnation for the conviction and 14-year prison sentences given to two men -Steven Monjeza and Tiwonge Chimbalanga – who had attempted a marriage ceremony.
Chimbalanga gained asylum in Cape Town, South Africa, while Monjeza is serving a three-year prison sentence for theft.
Wapona Kita, one of Malawi’s leading human rights lawyers, said the decriminalisation of homosexuality “ is long overdue” saying it “unconstitutional against international human rights standards.”
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