THE United Nations (UN) has said it will not tie any aid being rendered to African countries including Zambia to the issue of gay rights because each member state has different national laws.
UN resident coordinator Kanni Wignaraja said gay rights should not be a predominant issue and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon’s statement on sexual orientation was not in any way meant to promote homosexuality as misconstrued by some Zambians.
Ms Wignaraja explained that Mr Ki-Moon’s statement indicated that Governments should respect human rights and should not discriminate people on the basis of different sexual orientation.
Ban Ki-Moon during his recent visit called on Zambians to take advantage of ongoing Constitution-making process to enshrine the highest standards of human rights and protection of all people regardless of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation or disability.
But Ms Wignaraja said Mr Ban’s statement had been blown out of proportion by some Zambians.
[pullquote]“The issue of homosexuality has been blown into a storm by a few Zambians and there is no leg to the story, but it is good that since the issue is ill-informed, it will soon die,” she said.[/pullquote]
She was speaking on Sunday evening when she featured on a live programme: ‘The Assignment’ on Muvi TV.
“The issue of homosexuality has been blown into a storm by a few Zambians and there is no leg to the story, but it is good that since the issue is ill-informed, it will soon die,” she said.
She said the UN would never tie its aid to gay rights as a condition adding that even the Zambian national anthem promoted rights that should be enjoyed by everyone equally.
On the Constitution-making process, Ms Wignaraja said Zambians themselves were better placed as stakeholders to come up with a good Constitution, which will stand the test of time.
“To me, a constitution-making process doesn’t fail and it shouldn’t be like a Christmas tree that has a lot of things on it but should consist of pertinent issues and should be a people-driven one,” she said.
Ms Wignaraja, however, said that Zambians should be careful not to overload their Constitution because it was bound to break down if it was stuffed with many issues.
She said politicians should work together to come up with a people-driven constitution and that could only happen if they worked across party lines.
On Millennium Development Goals (MDG), she said so far Zambia was making progress but there was need to accelerate its efforts to achieve the remaining half of 2015.
She cited some of the areas where the country was doing fine as in primary education, environment sustainable development, HIV/AIDS and other related diseases.
She said Zambia was making good progress in provision of anti-retro viral (ARVs) drugs to people living with HIV and AIDS and currently 70 per cent of pregnant women were on treatment.
She said gender-based violence (GBV) was at the heart of the UN and called for more strategies such as sensitisation, education and others that would lead to zero tolerance of GBV.
Ms Wignaraja said there was need for serious review and repealing of Article 23 of the Zambian Constitution in order to protect women’s rights.
She said currently Zambia was among the high ranking countries in the world with few women in decision-making which stands at 11 per cent.
[Times of Zambia]
It’s just natural to marginalise against homosexuals coz I ve never seen a female dog sexing another female dog. God help us coz it appears we are. in Sodom and gomora. Ban ki moon has a woman for a wife
I’m a Zambian gay man living in the US!! I have a great fear that when I go home they gonna kill me since they dont like gay people…true story
Truly you will be considered a deviant in Zambia as we do not view this practice as normal. If you really mean that you are gay, please consider changing your sexual orientation before landing most likely at Kenneth Kaunda international airport in Zambia if you want even your own biolgical family to welcome and accept you. No one will associate with you if they hear that you are gay. I only hope that you are not my brother who is currently in the USA
You have the right to fear for your safety, as you will be castrated the moment you land. But I know you are just kidding, right?
the issue of gayism has been clarified, its up to the nation to consider it or not. for Zambia, its strait forward, rejected in red. its jst disapointing to note that useless topics like this one is blown out of propotion such that even opposition leaders and some tuntemba churches who are sapos to be advising govt on more important issues tend to dwel more on this useless top thinkig they are shining only to find themselves moping.
OR stay there, don’t come back to Zambia!
We will not condone gays in Zambia. Our culture and religion does not allow it. We can starve to death than allow it.
Good to know you respect that “each member state has different national laws”. NO HOMOs pa ZED
In 2007, 2008 and perharps beyond those academic years, there were two gay guys at Copperbelt University (CBU). These chaps were light in complexion and liked putting on glasses. Can anyone remember them? What i want to say here is that those gay students did not have peace in campass because of their sexual orientation and because of this, they only spent there time by themselves and oftenly snikked from school for sexual healing elsewhere. The segregation will never end even at national level and this only shows how rejected this vice is in Zambian societies, both civilized and uncivilized societies
Ban Ki Fool shouldn’t even have opened his mouth
so why is PF trying to make sure its recognised in Zambia with their paper!!
Do they have rights