Crime

Zimbabwe: Health minister calls for better healthcare for men having sex in prison

Jan 09 2015
Written by Joseph McCormick

Despite there being laws against gay sex in Zimbabwe, a health minister has called for better healthcare for men who have sex with men in prison.

Calls were made by stakeholders in the health sector, for gay men should be included in HIV and AIDS strategies.

Dr Owen Mugurungi, the HIV and TB director at the Zimbabwean Ministry of Health said it would be disastrous to ignore the fact that men have gay sex in prisons.

“We might want to deny that men have sex with men but we know that in prisons that thing does happen,” he said.

The change was commended by Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe. Director Chesterfield Samba said: “This is what we have been saying all along – that AIDS programmes should not be politicised because health knows no politics and we applaud the Health Ministry in ensuring health for all.”

The country’s President Robert Mugabe recently said he dislikes taking international aid money from the West, because it comes with pressure to “embrace” homosexuality.

Mugabe has made several bizarre anti-gay rants in the past,claiming earlier this year he felt sorry for the Queen because of Britain’s “gay habits”.

He said: “What has happened to Britain? They have grown small in mind, small intellect. Ideology gone!

“You can’t see it in people now, with gay habits. Shame on them!

“I pity the one lady I admire, the Queen, that she is in these circumstances.

“They’ve gone to the dogs! No respect. Countries don’t respect them anymore.”