Share Despite protests and criticism from the international community, proposed bill in Uganda of death penalties for active homosexuals living with HIV is most likely to continue. The legislation also promotes the possibility for the family, friends, or even landlords of Ugandan homosexual gays to be imprisoned for 7 years if they "aid, abet, counsel or procure another to engage of acts of homosexuality."
Debates are still going on in Uganda, while the bill's defenders say they are open to constructive criticism to further improve the law. To change death penalties to lifetime imprisonment is also suggested by a senior minister from Kampala.
The bill has, however, received a lot of condemnations from gay rights activist and international community alike. Activists say this is a step back to the fight against HIV/AIDS and is likely to have a backlash from a growing gay community in the continent. President Obama calls the policy 'odious.' European Union and Britain's Africa minister had also criticized the bill earlier this year.
Source: Findtut, May 20, 2010
Malawi gay couple receive maximum 14-year hard labour sentence
A gay couple convicted of having homosexual sex in Malawi have received the maximum 14-year jail sentence.
The pair have been held in custody since December 28th when they were arrested in Blantyre for holding a traditional wedding ceremony.
Steven Monjeza, 26, and Tiwonge Chimbalanga, 20, (pictured) were told by a judge they would also serve hard labour as a warning to other gay people in the country.
The couple were convicted on Tuesday of unnatural acts and gross indecency after being arrested in December.
Associated Press reports that magistrate Nyakwawa Usiwa told them: "I sentence you to 14 years imprisonment with hard labour each. That's the maximum under the penal code.
"I will give you a scaring sentence so that the public be protected from people like you, so that we are not tempted to emulate this horrendous example," he added.
The pair pleaded not guilty to the charges and were held in prison without bail for four and a half months.
On Tuesday, the Malawian minister of information, Leckford Mwanza Thotho, said the government was pleased at the conviction.
"What we are saying is that the ruling or the court proceeding as of today, reflects our tradition in Malawi. It just shows that the gay issue is against our culture in Malawi,” he said.
Source: Pink News, May 20, 2010
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