Zimbabwe Justice Minister: We Will Continue To Imprison Homosexuals

Zimbabwe's Minister of Justice rejected reports of state-sponsored violence yesterday and declared that his department will continue to prosecute homosexuals.

After meeting with the UN human rights chief, the justice minister of Zimbabwe vowed not to recognise any gay rights, and also rejected all allegations that the country harbours state-sponsored violence. Navi Pillai, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights was in Harare today, in order to assess the human rights situation there, while, in a joint statement, 36 different groups said they will boycott a meeting with her arranged by the justice ministry at the Parliament, on account of it being “fraudulent.” Patrick Chinamasa, the country’s justice minister claimed in a press conference that there was no state-sponsored violence, and that he had conveyed as much to Ms Pillai. However, he added that Zimbabwe will continue to arrest members of the same-sex engaging in sexual activity which is illegal in the country.

RELATED: Last week a member of the Zimbabwe parliament publicly called for gay people to be evicted from their homes and banished from their communities.