By Dr. Chris ZUMANI Zimba
A. INTRODUCTION
When African leaders such Uganda’s Museveni, Rwanda’s Kagame, Kenya’s Ruto or Uhuru, Libya’s Gaddafi, Zambia’s Lungu or Kaunda, Zimbabwe’s Mugabe or Mnangagwa, DR Congo’s Kabila, Nigeria’s Buhari and Malawi’s Chakwera spoke against homosexuality at some point, no one doubted their position but were instantly believed and taken seriously. To the contrary, Zambia’s sitting President, Mr. Hakainde Hichilema (HH) and his government have on more than 10 times since September, 2021 responded to denounce their covert support for homosexuality; but their position has received very little believability impact from many local citizens (Nkomesha U, 2022:1; Lusaka Times, 2021:1). Many stakeholders are still highly sceptical and seem to doubt their policy honest.
Why is this particular African president failing to convince his own voters and citizens that he has zero tolerance for gay and lesbian rights?
Why is HH, an SDA church elder and ‘New Head of State’ not taken serious or warmly believed on this issue in particular? In this short article, we have reviewed different literature such as key political statements, government policies, media reports and research findings in attempting to factually answer the aforesaid questions. The article strives to also advance sound policy recommendations on how the Zambian President and government can ‘cleanse’ themselves from this ‘America gay filthy’ during the historical state visit of the American Vice President, Kamala Harris as well as Zambia’s co-hosting of the ‘World Democracy Summit’ this March, 2023.
B. HOW HH HAS ENTANGLED HIMSELF IN & WITH THE ‘AMERICAN GAY FILTHY’
There are multiple direct and indirect reasons why our good president, HH and his team have on many times spoken against homosexuality but are generally not believed nor taken seriously by many stakeholders. Below, I identify and itemize the five key ones:
1. Our HH is seen like one playing ‘hide and seek’ on homosexuality; he does not take a bold, passionate, angry and open position against homosexuality whenever he has an opportunity to meet and talk with American and European leaders, media reporters and investors in New York, London, Ottawa or Paris who champion homosexuality. When he is with them, HH always chooses to avoid ‘any anti-gay talk’ in the faces of the actual homosexual promoters and funders. This is where our HH misses it;
2. All African leaders who are taken serious on anti-gay rights talk have had honest, passionate, courageous and open position against homosexuality in front of BBC, CNN, Sky News, Obama, Joe Biden, Tony Blair, Kamala Harris, etc who are respected gay champions. At no point has our HH denounced homosexuality in the faces of these American and European gay sponsors without fear or apology. This is why he is not taken serious on this issue by many informed stakeholders;
3. The accusations of HH being soft on gays are empirically factual and serious because, our HH has openly embraced and closely befriended Britain and Europe’s number one gay promoter and ambassador called Tony Blair, former Prime Minister (PM) of UK (The Guardian, 2022:1). Mr. Blair is recognized for changing laws that promoted and popularized pro homosexual rights and unions in UK and Europe between 1997 and 2007 when he was PM and Has been awarded and rewarded many times by many gay organizations;
4. So far, Tony Blair has visited HH each year at State House and no one knows the extent of Blair’s influence on HH’s government and policies. Yes, ‘only birds of the same kind fly together’; HH’s close relation with Tony Blair is generally seen as such by many stakeholders (Mandle C, 2023:1). To what extent can our good president dissociate himself from being covertly pro-gay when his number one European ally and policy advisor is no one but Tony Blair?; and
5. HH is ‘tightly hugging’ and ‘politically kissing’ President Joe Biden and Kamala Harris who won on the ticket of promoting and defending gay and lesbian rights both at home and abroad. At all UNGA and democracy summits, the American President and his team have prioritized to preach, protect and promote homosexuality to all their partner countries (Lavers M. K, 2021). Now, the way these American and Westerner gay promoters embrace HH and shower his government with ‘soft human rights’ praises must not shock him when many other stakeholders disbelieve his ‘lukewarm message’ on homosexuality (Nkomesha U, 2022:1). Our good president is just entangled in ‘American Gay Filthy’ especially that homosexuality is currently American priority Foreign Policy under Joe Biden and Kamala Harris (Cassell H, 2021:1).
C. HOW OUR HH MUST UTILIZE THE MARCH 2023 TWO US ENGAGEMENTS IN ZAMBIA TO CLEANSE HIMSELF FROM ‘AMERICAN GAY FILTHY’.
1. When he meets this American Vice President in front of the local and international media, HH must proactively bring Zambia’s official position on gays and lesbians to her. With passion, anger and political emotions we know him for, he should just say: “Gay Rights, gay rights what, KUTUMPA UKU”! and let someone translate and explain to Kamala Harris in English. This will be effective cleansing point for our ruler;
2. And at this 2023 Democracy Summit in front of all world leaders, HH gather courage to emphasize Zambia’s position on homosexuality in his speech. In presence of national, regional and world leaders and media, our president must be willing to firmly clarify on this topic and say it without fear or intimidation that Zambian people, cultural norms and religious values are purely anti-homosexual;
3. Our good president must know that many people won’t take him seriously if he only reacts to accusations of tolerating gays and lesbians to fellow Zambians who are already anti homosexuality themselves but are suspicious of his relationship with all the aforesaid America and European gay funders and promoters; and
4. Hence, our good president has an opportunity to politically cleanse himself from this “American Filthy” by making his position clear in the face of these American and European most important champions of homosexuality on earth. Let him redeem both himself and Zambia.
D. CONCLUSION
In the book of Zechariah 4:6, the Bible is very clear that “It’s not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the LORD Almighty”. No matter how President HH speaks angrily against homosexuality in some church or political gathering here in Zambia, no one will take him serious if he does not tell off the actual sponsors and promoters of gay and lesbian rights this monthend during these two rare opportunities. It will not be in any way different with an adult man who claims to be highly potent and productive before under age girls of less than 5 years (babies) but always fails to propose female adults for love or marriage when they show interest in him. 9. If our good president decides to make these American gay promoters so soft and nice around him by avoiding the topic before the media, he must be assured that he will retain the political stain of tolerating homosexuality in Zambia both now and tomorrow.
In conclusion, this monthend, Zambia’s President HH will be presented with two important opportunities to cleanse his government and redeem himself from growing gossips of being covertly pro homosexuality. It’s a rare chance for President Hakainde Hichilema to stamp authority on Zambia’s position on homosexuality and shine politically tall like his peers in Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, Uganda, Rwanda, Algeria, Morocco, Zimbabwe, Malawi or Sudan. From 29th to 30th March, 2023, the United States of America will co-host the ‘Second Summit for Democracy’ with the governments of Costa Rica, the Netherlands, Republic of Korea, and Republic of Zambia (Cabinet, 2023:1) while US Vice President, Kamala Harris arrives in Lusaka almost during the time for bilateral engagements with the Zambian government after visiting Ghana and Tanzania (Megerian C, 2023:1). I pray for our HH to shine and not sink.
The Author, Dr. Chris ZUMANI Zimba, is a Zambian Political Scientist, Researcher, Lecturer and Consultant specialized in Comparative Global Governance and Democratic Theories. He holds a PhD from University of Lusaka, Masters from University of Osnabruck in Germany and BA from University of Zambia in Political Science. He publishes political and academic books and articles in his field.