TV personality and SA Idols judge, Somizi Mhlongo was meant to make an appearance at the reopening of a famous restaurant in Harare on Thursday.
However, things turned sour after the Apostolic Christian Council of Zimbabwe and Zanu-PF Youth League wrote to the President’s Office voicing its disapproval and claiming that members felt “violated” by it.
“Somizi is a homosexual, hence according to our people’s driven constitution, Zimbabwe doesn’t tolerate homosexuality.
“It is, therefore, our question, if we allow Somizi to come to our land, spiritually we would have disturbed a lot, and physically we would have openly accepted homosexuality in Zimbabwe hence affecting our children.
“This move will also affect our revolutionary party Zanu-PF by disturbing the 5 million votes win needed in the next 2023 harmonised elections for it is publicly known that our party strongly stands against homosexuality,” said the council.
Somizi Mhlongo responds to the incident
Mhlongo addressed the incident on a video via Instagram, and while he was disappointed at the cancellation, he would not “stop speaking on behalf of the voiceless”.
“If it means you not wanting me being me, authentically me, keep it, keep your space, keep your country, I don’t want to be there anyway,” he said during the video.
Homosexuality still illegal in most parts of Africa
Homosexuality is still illegal in Zimbabwe and in most parts of Africa. Thus the LGBTQAI+ community faces legal and societal challenges on a continuing basis.
The community was especially often violently persecuted during the rule of former President Robert Mugabe. And he once said that homosexuals were “worse than pigs and dogs”.
