We found ourselves once again in Uganda, where something important had happened involving the Ugandan president. Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, a man of strong character, has enacted one of the world’s strictest anti-homosexual measures, prompting widespread condemnation both inside and outside the country, on an international scale. He amended the law in response to international pressure.
When someone is stubborn and challenged to cross a certain line, it’s as if they’re crossing that invisible line. He chooses to cross this line to see how others react. This is precisely what the President of Uganda has done. He therefore signed a new law that adds provisions to existing legislation.
Homosexual relations were already illegal in Uganda, as they are in over 30 African countries, but the new law goes much further by targeting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people.
Clarification of penalties
From now on, promoters of homosexuality, i.e. those who preach and promote this lifestyle, will be sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment and a capital punishment reserved for certain inappropriate behaviors, such as having homosexual sexual relations if HIV-positive.
In this way, we want to make it clear that the aim is not to condemn anyone who has features resembling those of homosexuals. If you look like a woman or are a man with feminine tendencies, this can be a natural characteristic. But the law only condemns you if you’re caught red-handed, or if you transmit HIV to someone who doesn’t know it, or if you preach this story.
This means that homosexual identification will not be criminalized, but that homosexual acts themselves will be punishable by life imprisonment. In other words, if a person self-identifies as homosexual, they won’t be arrested, but if they’re caught in the act of homosexuality, they will be. This is an important nuance. It’s possible to walk down the street declaring “I’m gay” without being arrested, but when someone is caught committing homosexual acts, it becomes a problem and they are arrested.
We must defend our ideals and moral values without allowing ourselves to be influenced by any foreign power.
The President of Uganda
The law was approved despite criticism from Western governments, human rights activists and international companies. Obviously, companies only invest in places where they find a mentality that matches their own. If you adopt our mentality and our way of seeing things, we’ll invest. If not, we will condemn you and take steps to punish you, as was done in Zimbabwe.
Supporters of the law say they resist foreign interference and seek to protect Ugandan moral values from Western immorality. We can appreciate the determination of the President and Parliament to keep their law despite the criticism.
Defending autonomy and democracy in Africa
In any case, whatever the moment in history, it’s vital to preserve the protection of human beings. No one should have to suffer the consequences of things they haven’t done or of perfectly normal behavior. But I also think that every society deserves to retain its own values and decide on its own local system. Individuals should be able to stand up and pass laws in their communities if they disagree with certain things. As such, these laws must come from local aspirations and must never be determined by outside forces. It is therefore essential to ensure that a country’s legislation is not authorized by foreign powers.
It’s important to note that the president in question has a strong personality and deserves respect for the positive measures he is taking. Of course, no one is perfect, but he has clearly stated his support for culture and enjoys considerable public backing. He even went to Russia on his own initiative, uninvited, to ensure that African interests were respected.
Africans have had enough of foreign interference and foreign policies that seek to impose on them a way of life or operating model that does not correspond to their own vision of democracy. We need to ask ourselves who has the right to speak of democracy. In some light countries, journalists who tell inconvenient truths are arrested. Is this the definition of democracy? Arresting journalists for telling unpleasant truths? The European Union and the United States reacted in their own way, but in general, when you receive something, it’s hard to ask for anything in return. It’s hard to assert yourself when you’re dependent on the favors of others.
Read more: Kenya’s president delivers a courageous speech for a free and respected Africa
The stakes of the death penalty
President John Pombe Magufuli’s achievements are to be commended. He spent five years in power without leaving the African continent. He rebuilt his country with public funds. Today, Uganda, like many other countries, aspires to autonomy. However, new legislation has just been enacted, including some controversial provisions. What do you think? Is the Ugandan president on the right track? Shouldn’t it instead allow individuals to conduct their lives and pursue their aspirations with freedom of expression and existence? This would be in line with the principles of society and culture. Should it really impose strict limits on the direction we wish to take, all of us as a nation?
The stakes of capital punishment
It’s important to note that, in general, when a country opts for capital punishment, it is deprived of foreign funding. Whatever the reasons, the imposition of capital punishment in a country has this unfortunate consequence. It’s worth mentioning a neighboring country, the Congo, where serious crimes such as armed robbery and rape were commonplace at one time. The government of the time, under the presidency of Laurent Désiré Kabila, decided to put an end to this situation. The criminals were herded into a soccer stadium, where they were executed by firearms in the presence of the general public. From then on, all kinds of crime ceased immediately. This draconian approach has had direct consequences, demonstrating that criminals fear brutality above all, and not revelry.
This is why some countries, such as South Africa, allow citizens to own firearms. Civilians have the right to protect themselves, even if it’s true that crime has not been totally eradicated. Nevertheless, a criminal will think carefully before entering a home where he knows a firearm is waiting. This doesn’t mean it’s essential to take people’s lives. But we must denounce the injustice of the United States when they have the right to use the death penalty, without giving free rein to those who would like to do the same.
Totally inspired by Zack Mwekassa’s video
