Thu, 09 Nov 2017 11:24:15 +0000
By Andrew Mukoma
MORE information is emerging in Livingstone about gay and lesbianism being practiced in the tourist capital following the exposing of a secret “indaba” which was held at one of the leading hotels in the city.
Investigations by the Daily Nation have now revealed that in fact there is a non governmental organisation which is actually advocating for the recognition of gay rights.
However, UNIP and Livingstone residents who learnt about it following the publishing of the secret
meeting in the Daily Nation have described the activity as un Zambian.
The secret meeting was held at the hotel owned by a traditional leader and a politicians.
According to the information obtained by the Daily Nation, there has been a number of meetings that have taken place in the city to which the NGO under the sponsorship of some foreign countries has been in charge.
It has also been revealed that apart from holding meetings at a named hotel, the advocates have been holding meetings at a bar along the road that leads to the Victoria Falls.
The same NGO has established a base in a residential area and formed groups of activists nearly in all compounds and townships.
One of the Livingstone residents who once worked with the group disclosed that indeed homosexuality and gay practices were real in Livingstone.
The source who sought anonymity said that at first when the NGO started, it came under the disguise of being an institution championing the Test and Treat advocacy under the Ministry of Health but sponsored by some foreigner countries.
“This thing is there and I have worked with one of the NGOs advancing it…this is real in Livingstone and there is a named bar in 217 area where they meet pretending to be drinking and their coordinator is a well known former hotelian,” the source said.
“The advocacy started a year ago and even having the secretive ‘indaba’ which was at the hotel is not a surprise…it is now in compounds. But UNIP in Southern Province is dismayed with the revelations describing it as unZambian.
UNIP Provincial chairperson Captain Robert Mukengami said if some hotels and bars where such individuals were holding meetings are in existence, the government should move in and bring order before the nation loses its integrity.
“UNIP never left this kind of behaviour so even PF should not allow it. This is uncalled for,” he said.
And the secret gay “indaba” that was held in Livingstone has been condemned and described as an evil act that the church must join to fight and not only leave to the politicians.
Kingdom Business Ministries International senior pastor Reverend Panji Chipeta said the church should not beat about the bush when it came to speaking about such activities.
He said that the church was aware that some of the homosexuals and lesbians were church members and went to church every Sunday.
“We need to address these issues and show the people that this is not normal it is not the order of God,” he said.
