Anger as SA won’t budge on Uganda

Deputy President David Mabuza’s refusal to condemn Uganda’s proposed anti-gay legislation, which could see convicted people facing the death penalty, and other LGTBQIA+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer and asexual) human rights violations, continued to spark outrage yesterday.

At the National Council of Provinces recently, Mabuza refused to “interfere” in Uganda’s pending policy, saying it “wasn’t easy” to condemn human rights abuses against LGTBQIA+ people on the continent.

“We are called upon by our constitution to respect sovereignty of any state and we must mind what we must say about other people,” Mabuza said at the time, forgetting how quickly former international relations minister Lindiwe Sisulu removed SA’s ambassador from Israel in May 2018.

Analyst for the Institute for Race Relations Gerbrandt van Heerden said SA’s reluctance to defend LGTBQIA+ rights in Africa was tragic.

“The prevailing notion throughout much of Africa that same-sex activity is considered a Western phenomenon is precisely the reason why South Africa should actively work to change that narrative,” Van Heerden said.

Research conducted by Van Heerden showed 32 out of 54 African countries outlawed same-sex activity.

After conducting several interviews with representatives across the continent, he noted sub-Saharan Africa remained one of the most hostile regions for the LGTBQIA+ community.