Photo: riekhavoc

A protest at the Ugandan mission to the United Nations: The country's cabinet is amending a proposed anti-gay law after strong foreign protests.

"No one can deny Prime Minister Cameron his right to make policies, take initiatives and make statements that reflects his societal norms and ideals. But he does not have the right to direct other sovereign nations as to what they should do especially where their societal norms and ideals are different from those which exists in Prime Minister Cameron's society."

These were words of Ghanaian President, John Atta Mills, responding to British Prime Minister, David Cameron's directive, stating that the UK will stop its aid to any country that does not embrace and recognize gay rights.

The UK, in my opinion, is showing a "bullying mentality" by threatening to cut aid to countries where homosexuality is illegal. Mr Cameron said those receiving UK aid should "adhere to proper human rights." Ending the bans on homosexuality was one of the recommendations of an internal report into the future relevance of the Commonwealth.

Mr Cameron said he had spoken with "a number of African countries" and that more pressure had been applied by Foreign Secretary William Hague, who deputized for him during parts of the Commonwealth summit in Perth, Australia recently.

Some 41 nations within the 54-member Commonwealth have laws banning homosexual acts. Many of these laws are a legacy of British rule. The Union Government and that of Zanzibar have already rejected the directive by the British government to review their legislations to accommodate homosexuality, saying that was impossible.

Zanzibar President, Dr Ali Mohamed Shein and the Union Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, Mr Bernard Membe, said the conditions given by the British Government were unacceptable. They said Tanzania was ready to lose aid from the British government rather than reform legislations banning homosexuality.

Addressing a news conference on the occasion to mark one year of formation of Government of National Unity (GNU) on the Isles, Dr Shein said same sex marriage violated Zanzibar's ideals and Islamic religion.

"Accepting that condition is next to impossible and we will never ever take that option. They can stop their aid if they wish," said Dr Shein.

At the news conference, Mr Membe said homosexuality was a misdemeanor to Tanzania culture and religions.

"Our position on this matter is crystal clear. Our moral values and culture will always prevail even if we remained poor. We understand the issue is UK's Conservative Party policy, but we will not bow to their pressure," Mr Membe said, adding:

"Our morals and laws are against homosexuality. We stand by our dignity. We would rather lose the aid than succumb to the dim-witted string attached aid."

Here in Tanzania, the law stresses that the foundation of the nation is the family. According to the penal code, homosexuality is a criminal offence which attracts a sentence of not less than 30 years in prison.

Mr Cameron's threat applies only to one type of bilateral aid known as General Budget Support and would not reduce the overall amount of aid to any one country. Malawi already had some of its budget support suspended because it is refusing to acknowledge homosexuality.

To show the stand of most African leaders, recently, Zimbabwe's Prime Minister, Morgan Tsvangirai told a massive gathering during the belated International Women's Day celebrations at Chitungwiza Aquatic Complex Thursday, his MDC-T party was against gay people.

"Why does a man want to breathe in the neck of another man yet 52 per cent of our population is made up of women. We don't want gay people, no we don't. Actually men are few in Zimbabwe," he said.

The argument among most Africans is that homosexuality is "un-African" - foreign to the continent, against its teachings and traditions and even against what the Bible teaches. In fact, some people would argue there is no word for homosexuals or homosexuality in their local African languages.

I stand by the belief that our sexuality cannot or should not be decided by others. It's a part of living and Africa is therefore no different from any other place on this planet. Not only is homosexuality Un-African, it is against the law of nature and by all means should be condemned. Africans must protect their civilized culture against Western influence.

The media is trying to force us to believe that homosexuality is a norm. Unfortunately, Africans know better. I think Europeans have introduced "homosexuality" in African countries through movies, books and their education system separating boys and girls.

Now with the access to the internet, homosexuality will colonize African youth because they are given the belief that what is produced in the West is superior! I think westerners know too well about Africa's position as far as homosexuality is concerned.

Let's remember that when AIDS first appeared as an epidemic, the westerners themselves were quick to point out that it might have been transmitted from African monkeys and that the main groups threatened in the west were homosexuals.

In a western media that is so quick to berate all things African, they could not bring themselves to even suggest that AIDS was spread in Africa by homosexuals. So it seems today the west is trying very hard to make a connection with gays in Africa that isn't there.

I have a hard time believing that homosexuality is an inherited condition. If it is linked to genes and homosexuals (as far as we know) have no chance of impregnating one another, how come the gene pool has not died out.