SA’s Zimbabwe-style ‘finesse’ for Uganda
Silent over Museveni, government now wants talks about rights
It was the end of an era on Friday night when South Africa’s last remaining drive-in movie theatre closed down. The open-air cinema on the roof of the Menlyn Park shopping centre in Pretoria screened the science-fiction thriller ‘Gravity’ and the comedy ‘We’re the Millers’ before the projectors were switched off for the last time. Operators said the drive-in — which had been in operation for 14 years — had to close because of ‘technical restraints’. The area occupied by the cinema would be used for ‘recreation and entertainment’, details of which would be revealed soon, shopping centre management said THE South African government has opted for “quiet diplomacy” as a way of persuading Uganda and other countries with antigay laws to repeal them.
International Relations Ministry spokesman Clayson Monyela said President Jacob Zuma’s administration did not believe that “shouting on the rooftop” would persuade countries with homophobic laws to change their ways.
South Africa came under fire this week for its silence over Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni’s signing of legislation that would see homosexuals jailed for 14 years for a first offence.
Earlier this week, Monyela issued a statement condemning all countries with discriminatory gender law — without naming Uganda.
He later said that singling out Uganda would not be helpful because “as far as we know there are over 82 countries” — 37 of them in Africa — that have laws criminalising lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgender and intersex people.
A total of 87 nations have enacted anti-gay laws.
“So we are speaking to all of them, [saying] that the route they are taking is really not in the best interests of anyone, because the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex community is part of the citizens they should be protecting in terms of . . . their rights,” said Monyela.
“You cannot limit this matter to Uganda just because that country is in the news this week. What about the other 82 countries, including what happened in Arizona?”
The US state recently passed a bill allowing businesses to refuse to serve gays and lesbians on religious grounds — but the legislation was vetoed by governor Jan Brewer.
Monyela said the government was planning to quietly influence the 32 African countries to repeal their homophobic legislation.
He said a similar approach had worked effectively during Zimbabwe’s political crisis.
Despite global condemnation of President Robert Mugabe’s violation of human rights starting in 2000, the South African government followed a policy of “quiet diplomacy”.
“When there was a huge crisis in Zimbabwe, some countries, including those in the north and the West, decided to shout,” said Monyela.
“Zimbabwe ignored them. South Africa engaged Zimbabwe and, as a result, Zimbabwe has just emerged from an election which was pronounced to be credible . . . In fact, that out- come in Zimbabwe is a direct result of our engagement.
“We are taking the same approach on this matter.”
He said International Relations Minister Maite NkoanaMashabane would soon announce plans for a regional conference on the rights of gays and lesbians.
The conference, which would be hosted in South Africa and attended by delegates from var- ious parts of the continent, would be used by the government to try to persuade African countries to repeal homophobic laws, said Monyela.