A statement just in from SAFAIDS:

Homophobia and Violence will not Prevent HIV

SAfAIDS Statement on violence on Sexual minorities in Zimbabwe SAFAIDS

HARARE – SAFAIDS would like to express its solidarity with GALZ whose members have been subjected to recent arrests. As an HIV organisation involved in the prevention of HIV, we would like to raise awareness on the implications of violence on sexual minorities on the fight against HIV.

Research has shown that sexual minorities contribute to HIV prevalence (9-25%). The violence on sexual minorities only pushes them to go into hiding where it is hard to reach them with the relevant protective messages and services. Some have gone to the extent of getting married to women while having partners secretly. This puts these families at even higher risk. As SAfAIDS we believe pushing sexual minority groups into hiding because they are afraid of being arrested is not a public good.

The Zimbabwe National Strategic Planning Document clearly acknowledges MSM as an important population that needs targeting for HIV prevention. This can only be achieved when people are open about who they really are. How do they do this if they risk being arrested? The current achievements that we have in our HIV response are a result of sound and progressive policies and practice. We need not reverse this now- ending HIV is within our grasp now, achieving Zero HIV, Zero Stigma, Zero discrimination can only be realized when we reach everyone who is sexually active .

As SAfAIDS we are appealing for tolerance and respect of people of different sexual orientation from what we consider as norm. These people are our children, sisters, brothers and children, let’s accord them the space to live without fear.

As Zimbabwe joins the world towards the goal of zero new HIV infections, SAfAIDS believes we must break down all barriers of stigma and discrimination and ensure that people of all sexual orientation have access to quality legal, and health services that meet their needs. As an organisation, we support efforts to ensure that the country continues in its success path and this can only be realized through respecting the rights of all populations. With tolerance and acceptance to diverse groups, together we Can Prevent HIV.

If Zimbabwe can’t even organise a National Census peacefully then what about the next election?

Just thinking about Marko’s blog on the national census, have you noticed the large, full colour adverts about the census in our newspapers? The latest advert suggests that if you cooperate with the census process your participation will help ensure the provision of water … something that we haven’t had a consistent supply of for the last several years. You’ve really just got to wonder at the lengths the Zimbabwe government will go to with their propaganda on the one hand, and their heads up their arses on the other. I mean, let’s face it, the mismanagement of the economy and a politics based in patronage and self enrichment have been central to the erosion of the standard of living of the average citizen in this country. A national census isn’t going to remedy this. Kicking out all the useless politicians will.

How foolish is it to have on the one hand AIDS activists (including the government) giving out condoms especially to sex workers and on the other hand police officers taking these away from them?

In a report Criminalizing Condoms, published by the Open Society Foundation it is revealed that Zimbabwean police officers are amongst those who confiscate condoms from sex workers. By carrying condoms the police assume that women are prostitutes.

In as much as prostitution is illegal in Zimbabwe the state however should not be discouraging safe sex practices. If one is ‘proven’ guilty of prostitution let the law apply. But assuming that one in possession of a condom is a prostitute and further going on to confiscate condoms is absurd.
The report brought to light that in some countries where sex workers are arrested and have their condoms confiscated, they still make it back to the streets on the same night and end up having unprotected sex. And in other instances, sex workers have resorted to not carrying condoms at all to stay safe from police harassment or arrest. Confiscating condoms places the life of sex workers at risk and compromises disease prevention.

Zimbabwe is to hang three men in its first executions in the country since 2005. The men who committed murders have been in jail for as long as seven years. The Supreme Court confirmed yesterday that the three would face the death sentence. For a long time human rights groups have appealed to the government to abolish the death penalty. The call to abolish the death penalty was even appealed for by Pope John Paul II, during a visit to Zimbabwe in 1988. Today in 2012, Zimbabwe’s new draft constitution still upholds the death penalty with the exception of females.

I think we are really regressing as a nation sometimes, what’s with men lobbying for women to be indoors by six o’clock? We cannot go back to the medieval era when women like children were meant to be seen only and not heard. Giving women a curfew is meant to alleviate prostitution they say. Bakers Inn will cease to bake bread the day the bread does not have consumers. The same way prostitution will end when men stop consuming the female product. If this is passed as a law it is going to be disastrous for women like me whose industry strives at night. I am a musician and performer who will be jobless. What other option of work will I have for a job? If the majority of women whom I know work long hours in offices have to be home by six and have no husbands or any other help to make ends meet, how will they survive? Can you imagine the bulk of women jobless wanting to put food on the table for their children and other persons under their care? Women often have more people to take care of than men do, imagine the pressure that this woman will have? If she is not going to be a commercial sex worker she is going to prostitute to her husband, boyfriend, lover or any other man in her life in the comfort of her house and not on the street corner. Prostitution by my definition is having sex in exchange for money or up keep. Putting a curfew on women will not stop prostitution. Instead it will make it rise. Prostitution is not going to be alleviated by this but is going to come to our homes as our mothers, sisters and all the female relations will sleep with men in their lives just to make him happy in hope he will leave a dollar for bread. Need I remind men out there that prostitution knows no time of the day? There are other ways prostitution can be alleviated. I don’t see how imposing a curfew on women will help.