Poet Chiwamba raps gays, lesbians
Controversial poet Robert Chiwamba was the centre of attraction on Friday during a poetry galore at Chrichi Gardens in Blantyre when he condemned the practices of gays and lesbians in his new poem Takana Mathanyula.
This is not the first time the gay and lesbian community has faced the wrath of artists as musician Lucius Banda also openly condemned the practices after his Christmas Eve performance at Zitherepano in Mangochi.
He prematurely ended his performance when he noticed two men kissing in the crowd.
But Chiwamba did not go the Lucius way by stopping his irresistible performance because there was none kissing or caressing among the audience. But reciting his Takana Mathanyula alone sent a strong message of his condemnation of gay and lesbian tendencies.
The poet believes the practices of gays and lesbians is ‘unclean’ which is aimed at glorying and promoting evil deeds.
In the poem, Chiwamba says Malawi has completely rejected the tendencies of gays and lesbians that are slowly creeping in all in the name of human rights.
He said: “The poem simply advances what is logic and what the Bible says and the stand of majority of Malawians who do not want tendencies of gays and lesbian to be legal.”
This is not the first time Chiwamba has taken on gays. His first masterpiece, Udzafa Imfa Yowawa, which catapulted him to fame, also criticises gays and lesbians.
Despite facing criticism from some sections of society, including religious groupings, sexual minority rights activists Gift Trapence and Timothy Mtambo still stand their guns.
“Malawi is a democratic society where the rights of all the people including minority lesbians and gays should be respected. We should not condemn or judge based on beliefs that do not apply to everyone or Malawi a nation,” said Trapence.
