Photo: UN LAZ vice-president Martin Musaluke said yesterday that it was unattainable to respect gay rights because homosexuality is prohibited in the country and that people convicted of the offence were liable to face stiff punishment.
He was reacting to United Nations (UN) Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon's statement on his recent visit to Zambia that people should not be discriminated against on the basis of their sexual orientation and that their rights should be respected.
But Mr Musaluke explained that respecting gay rights could only be possible if the current laws were repealed because whoever engaged or encouraged homosexuality should be prepared to face a sentence of up to life imprisonment.
He said there was no way the Zambian society could be asked to respect gay rights when the laws of the land prohibited homosexuality and spelt out penal sanctions.
"Having sexual intercourse with a person of the same sex is considered to be an act against the order of nature.
It, therefore, follows that whoever practises this act or encourages another person to do so commits a felony under our current laws," Mr Musaluke said.
He said in Zambia, laws as regards same-sex relationships were well-documented in the statutes and prohibited any homosexual practices.
In particular, he said, the Penal Code Chapter 87 of the laws of Zambia under Section 155 provides that: "Any person who has carnal knowledge of any person against the order of nature; or (c) permits a male person to have carnal knowledge of him or her against the order of nature; commits a felony and liable, upon conviction, to imprisonment for a term not less than 15 years and may be liable to imprisonment for life.
Mr Musaluke further explained that, Section 158 provides that: "(1) Any male who, whether in public or private, commits any act of gross indecency with a male child or person, or procures a male child or person to commit any act of gross indecency with him, or attempts to procure the commission of any such act by any male person with himself or with another male child or person, commits a felony and is liable, upon conviction, to imprisonment for a term of not less than seven years and not exceeding 14 years."
He said the same applies to a female who engages in an act against the order of nature with another female whether in public or private.
During his visit, Mr Ban said African countries should learn to respect the rights of people with different sexual orientations.
However, Mr Ban's statement has raised mixed feelings among different groups.
THE Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) has said respecting gay rights in Zambia is impossible because homosexuality is a criminal offence under the current laws.
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There are times when the great people of a nation must stand up to a government that would impose laws that are run counter to the moral truth that ALL people are created equal. Zambia, NOW is your time; to have laws which would imprison a person for acting on their love or attraction to another human being is simply horrific in the eyes of the world. Such a law can only serve to segregate your country from the rest of the world. Love and human sexuality should be celebrated, not abolished. Please join the rest of the world in recognizing that simple fact.
Davon I don`t know which part of the world you are located. The fact here is that our way of life has been aboliged by the western world for century. Why should they impose their way of life on Africans.
African way of life is to marry two or three wives, but that is aboliged in the western world. Should we not have the power to say No to things that are not in compliance with our African`s way of..
Secondly, homosexuality breed Airs, this is where Airs is from and that is the reason the gay communitiy pump more money in Airs research..
Look we have to have a motive for our being on earth.How will we human beings reproduce if man is marrying another man? How will the earth be filled with young children.. This is a demonic art and it should be comdamn..
It is saddened we have another pot pet un secretary general because this is not what this guy should be telling people...He should be concerned about the things that are happening in Syria,and other parts of the world. We need to pray seriously to God. And He will hear us...
God, may your almighty power descend on this earth and rescue it from the demon. Amen
Devil we re aware of you..u said u re 'homosexual' bt we know who u re..africans re alwyz ignorant bt they re very sure on this one..Nigeria have rejected you and now Angola..africans can neva go against the nature..the creator created male n female n we dont wnt to alter that in africa for the sake of our environment thats why we said no to HOMOSEXUALITY!
Devil we re aware of you..u said u re 'homosexual' bt we know who u re..africans re alwyz ignorant bt they re very sure on this one..Nigeria have rejected you and now Angola..africans can neva go against the nature..the creator created male n female n we dont wnt to alter that in africa for the sake of our environment thats why we said no to HOMOSEXUALITY!
The laz Vice President is spot on! we have had enough of the trash from white pervets
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