Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe has denounced Archbishop Desmond Tutu for speaking in support of LGBT rights and says his country will "never, never, never" support homosexuality.
Mugabe, 89, has accused the South African Nobel Peace Prize winner of wrongly interrupting the Bible.
Archbishop Tutu was speaking on Friday in Cape Town at the launch of a UN anti-homophobia and anti-transphobia global campaign.
The 81-year-old said he would never worship a "homophobic God" and would rather go to hell.
He also urged South Africa to reject homophobic discrimination.
In response, President Mugabe, who has previously described Archbishop Tutu as "evil", told his Zanu PF supporters on Saturday: "Never, never, never will we support homosexuality in Zimbabwe.
"Archbishop Tutu said it is nice to be gay, yet he has a wife, he should have begun by getting himself a man for a woman.
"When you are a bishop and cannot interpret the Bible, you should resign and give it to those who can. We will not compromise our tradition and tolerate homosexuality.
"I want to urge parents to be careful with your teenage children who are 17 years and older not to be swayed into this act as children are easily persuaded to accept it."
Mugabe, who is seeking a seventh term in office, added: "During creation, God made Adam and saw that he was lonely, and he created Eve out of Adam's rib and not another man.
"Animals are better off as they know who to mate with. Everyone knows what to do, even animals know which animal to mate with, goats know where to go, and cows know where to go too. We see donkeys all the time on top of each other, why can't you humans do the same?"
In a speech last Tuesday to Zanu PF supporters Mugabe criticised US President Barack Obama for linking foreign aid to the protection of gay rights.
Mugabe reportedly urged for the heads of gay men to be chopped off and said gay people are worse than "pigs, goats and birds."
Male same-sex sexual activity is illegal in Zimbabwe and since 1995 the government has carried out campaigns against gay men and lesbians.
Mugabe, president since 1987, has been a staunch promoter of homophobic persecution.
He marked his 88th birthday party in February 2012 by urging gay people to go to "hell" in a public speech.
No comments:
Post a Comment