South Africa’s opposition leader Julius Malema on Tuesday, April 4, led protests against a Ugandan law passed recently that makes it a criminal offence to be openly LGBTQ+.
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) led protesters to the Ugandan High Commission in Pretoria to condemn the controversial bill seeking life imprisonment for same-s*x relations.
According to the bill, the death penalty can be invoked for cases involving “aggravated homosexuality” – a broad term used in the legislation to describe s*x acts committed without consent or under duress, against children, p****e with mental or physical disabilities, by a “serial offender,” or involving incest.
Speaking during the protests, EFF national spokesperson Sinawo Thambo termed the bill as “inhumane”.
“The EFF reiterates its utter condemnation of the inhumane anti- LGBTQ bill Bill passed by the parliament of Uganda on March 21, 2023. Fundamentally, the parliament of Uganda has legalised b*****y,” Thambo stated.
On his part, Malema appealed to Uganda to reverse this decision saying it fuels h**e and discrimination which could turn f***l.
“You cannot promote h**e and then fold our arms and don’t show the Ugandan government that we don’t agree with h**e. We are victims of h**e. We were discriminated against on the basis of our identity and as a result, so many p****e were killed and this law that is passed in Uganda is going to be an act of h**e,” he said.
The Anti Homosexuality Bill 2023 had been introduced in Uganda by an opposition lawmaker Asuman Basalirwa saying it aims to “protect our church culture; the legal, religious and traditional family values of Ugandans from the acts that are likely to promote s****l promiscuity in this country.”
“The objective of the bill was to establish a comprehensive and enhanced legislation to protect traditional family values, our diverse culture, our faiths, by prohibiting any form of s****l relations between persons of the same s*x and the promotion or recognition of s****l relations between persons of the same s*x,” Basalirwa stated.
