The Swapo Party Elders’ Council has rallied behind the Swapo Party Youth League in opposing calls for Namibia to repeal the sodomy law, saying that sodomy is “highly unacceptable” and legalising it “will destroy young people’s future.”
The council said this in a media statement issued on Monday in response to several protests by Namibians seeking the dissolution of the law that prohibits sodomy in Namibia.
The council said Africa’s youth should maintain its culture, traditions and avoid engaging in activities that oppose African norms.
“A nation without culture and norms is like a tree without roots. People from other cultures will impose their bad culture on our nation,” the statement reads.
According to the council, there are priority issues and projects that need to be implemented, including youth unemployment and development in various sectors to improve Namibians’ living standards.
“We, therefore, support the view of the Swapo Party Youth League that says that members of parliament should discuss bread and butter issues to improve the standards of all Namibian people.”
Similarly, the Coalition of Churches and Organisations on Ethical Justice held a prayer march against homosexuality in Windhoek on Sunday. Coalition member, Pastor Shirley Magazi, said homosexuality is “unnatural, immoral” and has many negative consequences such as increased risk of suicide, drug and alcohol abuse, physical, psychological and verbal abuse, depression, HIV/AIDS infection and mental disorders.
She said the organisation stands for biblical family values and marriage as guided by the bible, and rejects any calls for the repealing of the sodomy law and for the recognition of same-sex marriages performed outside the borders of Namibia.
“We as the church take a stand against moral decay in our land. The church in Namibia takes a strong stance and calls for the strengthening of laws in Namibia to prohibit same-sex marriage in our nation, since marriage is defined as a union between one man and one woman,” she said.
Human rights activist, Linda Baumann, said while she is not surprised by the position of the Swapo Elders’ Council, she calls on the party, as the leader of government, to engage the community to reflect on their reality, their struggles and the discrimination they face every day.
She said Swapo has always been fearful of issues of homosexuality and has never qualified their own members to take up space and speak on such issues.
Baumann further called on the party to avoid using offensive language and to uphold their objective and the constitution that protects the right of every Namibian person.
Source: Namibia Press Agency
