‘Malawi unlikely to repeal anti-gay laws’
President Joyce Banda has indicated that Malawi is not ready to repeal laws which criminalise homosexuality in the country despite her pledge after taking office to review the legislation.
Banda is quoted by the Associated Press (AP) as saying that national debate had so far shown a lack of public support for the change.
“Anyone who has listened to the debate in Malawi realises that Malawians are not ready to deal with that right now. I, as a leader, have no right to influence how people feel,†Banda is quoted as saying in New York after addressing the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday.
A month after taking over the reins of power following the death of president Bingu wa Mutharika, Banda told Parliament that she wants Malawi to overturn its ban on homosexual acts—the first African country to do so since 1994.
Two Malawian men, Tiwonge Chimbalanga and Steve Monjeza, were sentenced to 14 years in prison in 2010 after they got engaged in public.
Homosexual acts are illegal in most African countries.
“Where Malawi is and most African countries are, is maybe where America or the UK was about 100 years ago. The best thing the world can do is to allow each country to take its course, to allow each country to have that debate freely without the pressure of being pushed,†Banda told AP.
