Stakeholders in Zambia have called for the arrest of the organizers of the first-ever gay parade held in Lusaka last Saturday. The protest, convened by Sistah Sistah Foundation Zambia, aimed to advocate for the rights of the LGBTQ community.

Former Religious and National Guidance Minister Reverend Godfridah Sumaili strongly condemned the protest and questioned why the police did not stop the protest when they discovered that it had diverted from the initial reasons stipulated in their application for a permit to protest. She urged the state to take action and ensure that such a situation does not repeat itself as it has the potential to contribute to the degeneration in the country’s moral fabric and cultural norms.

The Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia also condemned the protest and called for the arrest of the organizers. EFZ Executive Director Bishop Andrew Mwenda stated that such acts are a violation of biblical teachings and an arbitrary disrespect of the rule of law. The police in Lusaka have summoned the organizers of the protest to ascertain why the event was turned into a forum for championing homosexuality when the conversation applied for a permit to hold a march-past within Lusaka district to raise awareness against women and girls’ sexual and gender-based violence.

However, human rights activist Brebner Changala views the protest as an indication of the government’s tolerance of the LGBTQ community. He expressed shock that the LGBTQ community could gather the courage to come out in the open without interference from law enforcement officers despite homosexuality being illegal in Zambia. Changala has challenged the government to come out in the open and state its true position on gay rights, unlike the current situation where its pronouncements on the matter do not seem to match with their actions.

Efforts to get a comment from Chief Government Spokesperson Chushi Kasanda on the matter failed as her mobile phone was switched off. The situation has caused a divide in the country, with some advocating for the rights of the LGBTQ community, while others condemn their existence.

Zambia Police have summoned the organizers of Sistah Sistah Foundation Zambia’s march-past event, which was held on March 4, 2023, at the Rugby Club in the Show Grounds. The foundation had applied for a permit to hold the event to raise awareness against women and girls’ sexual and gender-based violence.

“The Sistah Sistah Foundation Zambia applied for a permit to hold a March-past within Lusaka District to raise awareness against women and girls sexual and Gender-Based Violence,” said Deputy Police Public Relations Officer Danny Mwale. “The permit was granted considering that issues of sexual and GBV are on the increase as detected by the Police Victim Support Unit. As such, this was deemed to be a noble cause by the Police.”

However, during the march-past event, the conveners exhibited a different agenda from the one for which they sought a permit. The agenda seemed to highlight issues of LGBTQ (homosexuality). This goes against the laws of Zambia, where practicing homosexuality is a crime punishable by law under Sections 155 and 157 of the Penal Code Chapter 87.

“In addition, Zambia is a Christian nation, and the government does not champion homosexuality,” added Mwale. “It is in this vain that the Zambia Police Service has summoned the conveners of the March-past in order to ascertain why the event was turned into a forum for championing homosexuality.”

The conveners of the event have been summoned by the police to explain their actions. “We want to know why they decided to use the event to promote homosexuality, which is against our laws and culture,” said Mwale. “We also want to remind the public that freedom of expression and assembly does not mean that they can break the law.”

The incident has sparked a debate in the country, with some people supporting the conveners’ right to freedom of expression and assembly, while others argue that they should have adhered to the original agenda for which they sought a permit.

“Everyone has the right to freedom of expression and assembly, but this does not mean that they can break the law,” said Lusaka resident Jane Banda. “The organizers of the march-past should have stuck to their original agenda, which was to raise awareness against women and girls’ sexual and gender-based violence.”

Others, however, feel that the conveners had a right to express their views on LGBTQ issues. “We live in a democracy, and everyone has the right to express their views, even if they are not popular,” said human rights activist David Mwila. “We should not be afraid to have conversations about LGBTQ issues, and the organizers of the march-past should be commended for starting this conversation.”

It is unclear at this time what the consequences for the conveners of the event may be. The police have warned members of the public not to deliberately flout the law by taking advantage of the prevailing environment that allows for freedom of expression and assembly. The debate around the incident is likely to continue in the coming days and weeks.

Chief Kabamba of the Lala people in Serenje District, Central Province, expressed shock that an investor was given a mining license covering three chiefdoms without consulting traditional leaders. The traditional leader refused to sign a Consent Letter for the investor, citing a violation of the Chiefs’ Authority Act and the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Act.

“This came as a surprise to me and my fellow chiefs,” Chief Kabamba said. “We were not consulted before the mining license was issued. We are disappointed that the investor did not follow the due process, and we cannot allow such a thing to happen in our chiefdoms.”

He added that traditional leaders are interested in working with investors to develop the country but must be consulted to avoid human rights abuses, especially the displacement of vulnerable people. “We are not against mining or investment, but we want to ensure that our people are not negatively impacted,” he said.

Meanwhile, Chief Chibale, the Central Province Council of Chiefs Chairperson, expressed surprise that the license was issued without his knowledge. He noted that traditional leaders in the Central Province recently resolved that the Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development should be reformed to allow for participation of chiefs in providing consent before issuing licenses.

“We have been advocating for the involvement of traditional leaders in the decision-making process, especially when it comes to land and natural resources,” Chief Chibale said. “We want to ensure that our people benefit from any investment in our chiefdoms.”

He added that traditional leaders in the Central Province resolved that all chiefdoms should generate Chiefdom Development Trusts or foundations, whose responsibilities should include the allocation of land and resource mobilization in the chiefdoms. “We want to be part of the development process, and we believe that by establishing Chiefdom Development Trusts, we can effectively manage resources and ensure that our people benefit from any investment in our chiefdoms,” he said.

The Chiefs urged the government to always engage them in the development agenda. “We are the custodians of our land and natural resources, and it is important that the government consults us before making any decision that affects our people,” Chief Kabamba said.

CEJ Board Member Boniface Mumba stated that his organization appreciates the role of chiefs in environmental sustainability. “Traditional leaders play a critical role in environmental management, and we must ensure that they are involved in the decision-making process,” he said.

The issuance of a mining license without consulting traditional leaders highlights the importance of effective communication and consultation with all stakeholders in the development process. It is essential to ensure that all stakeholders are aware of the potential impacts of any project and that their concerns are adequately addressed. The government must work with traditional leaders and other stakeholders to ensure that investment in the mining sector is sustainable and benefits all Zambians.