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Comment & analysis
Sex toys to save Zimbabwe’s homosexuality in prisons
Marujata Kwenda
2012-03-22, Issue 578
http://pambazuka.org/en/category/comment/80978
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There are days when people make jokes and you laugh so hard; and then you are reminded that it is not a joke. Politics in Zimbabwe may not be necessarily of interest to most unless there is bashing of homosexuals, because of its outspokenness by President Mugabe. Tactics that have been used over time are tiring, but to stop the spread of homosexuality with sex gadgets is just something. The recent claims by the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC-T) Senator Ms. Sithembile Mlotshwa are not only ridiculous but also discriminating against homosexuals.
So maybe after some time, politicians realize there is a buck to be made, and one figures curbing homosexuality would be especially good for a country like Zimbabwe; really? You see if we believe the Senator for a moment, importing the sex toys would be so expensive given that so far they are banned from Zimbabwe. Would this ban be lifted on this brilliant idea that will save homosexuality from spreading? Even soft pornography magazine and films are banned. In any case, consuming porn and using sex toys does not necessarily replace sex with humans for most people unless they are really unable to be with other people for whatever reasons there might be.
I gather this might make someone’s pocket fat should a tender be released for these sex gadgets that the Senator is yet to unveil for all to see. What part of the budget will this be coming out of seeing that in the recent weeks civil servants have been on strike over pay rise? It is such lunacy to even start thinking of the toys as an intervention.
If there is any meaningful change it should be providing condoms, which the government has refused to do and with that prisoners cannot receive visitors. Could this also be another way to curb “infection” from homosexuality by refusing prisoners their rights to visitors?
What is shocking is the lack of knowledge over homosexuality or ignorance thereof by the Senator. After several years of the economy folding and unfolding, it’s time that people are aware of being caught out by politicians who bring such false and manipulative information to gain favor with people. When are people going to actually wake up and realize that people have died not form homosexuality but dire poverty caused by structural violence of policies made by our governments selfishly?
If you want to make money sing homosexuality and you might just be in the next richest people magazine; the church makes money out of it, the government claims lack of achievement over homosexuality when they have just opened boxes of a new fleet of cars. Does anyone ask why not us? That is a question to you my Zimbabwean, wherever you are, because you want to make a dollar after the destruction of the economy. Have you been made poor by homosexuality? I am sure your answer is a no.
In a Save the Children report in 2009, it was stated that at least 10 out of the 13 million people of Zimbabwe were living in abject poverty. With hyperinflation in the last years before the dollarization in 2010-2011, there are still many people who are dying of hunger; and the numbers have increased. The gap between the rich elites and the poor has also escalated and this seems no cause for alarm except for what homosexuality will do. Homosexuality bashing is an old story and serious citizens need to understand that they are being robbed of their rights to live dignified lives because of being misinformed about homosexuality. Chances are taken that people will not ask questions; and politicians like Senator Mlotshwa will get away scot-free, embezzling funds meant for improving infrastructure and using them as tenders they will take upon for these sex gadgets.
Children are going to school because there are no teachers willing to teach for nothing in the schools- thankfully there are few good-hearted souls educating our children for just a meal.
Citizens will lose rights to better health, education and clean water; the roads are no better and prisoners can buy sex gadgets instead to stop and curb homosexuality. Wake up and smell this stink in sexualized politics Zimbabweans and Africans.
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*Marujata Kwenda is growing writer currently working on her first novel.
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Readers' Comments
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The author fails to mention something really important about sexual acts in prison.
Many of these sexual acts are not acts of homosexuality. Instead they are actually non-consensual acts of rape.
Rape is always an act of power. It rarely has anything to do with a person's sexual orientation. In prison, where it is only possible for men to rape other men, it is often (if not usually the case), that 'straight men' (or men who would prefer to be with women outside prison), are the ones who engage in prison rape.
In other words, rape has less to do with sexual orientation and more to do with exerting power over others especially when one has been so dis-empowered themselves.
Jared
Firstly a shout out to the Kwenda for a piece written so simply and yet so cleverly, touching on issues so prevelant in Africa and most certainly on other continets today! Aluta continua for homosexuality in Africa. Just when you think politicians;African governments etc would tackle real issues like poverty, corruption, water, housing, health, education,child headed households the Zimbabwean political machine (who are gearing up for an election lest we forget, so one questions the timing of their cure homos campaign) go the route of sexual eduaction in prisions? WTF. How about starvation or human rights abuses of prisioners or condoms and sex ed drives for the prisioners and prison administration instead. Thanks for bringing this to Africas attention. Honestly I couldn't even write a movie script with this topic,people wouldn't believe that such S_IT is actually going on. I don't know whether to laugh or cry!
Meryl