GOOD Statement by Carlos Mesquita,
GOOD Leadership Representative: LBGTIQ+ Community
3 January 2024
The GOOD party strongly condemns the recent comments made to the press by Burundian President, Evariste Ndayishimiye on the LGBTIQ+ community.
Late last month President Ndayishimiye called on his citizens to stone gay people, escalating a crackdown on sexual minorities in a country where LGBTIQ+ people already face social ostracism and jail terms of up to two years if convicted of same-sex offenses.
“I even think that these people, if we find them in Burundi, it is better to lead them to a stadium and stone them. And that cannot be a sin,” Ndayishimiye said, describing homosexuality as imported from the West.
His comments reflect a worrying trend of a growing intolerance of LGBTIQ+ people in the region.
Uganda passed a law in May that carries the death sentence for certain categories of same-sex offenses and lengthy jail sentences for others.
As GOOD, we are extremely disappointed in the seeming silence from African leaders, including our own. South African leaders in particular should be seen and heard condemning this statement, as in line with the values enshrined in our constitution.
The GOOD party recently added the appointment of a representative for the LBGTIQ+ community to its National Leadership Committee in an attempt to ensure that the rights extended to this community and which are entrenched in our constitution are upheld at all times.
Our nation still has a long way to go before some of our own citizens respect these rights and it is a sad day when leaders on the African continent, or anywhere in the world, are allowed to go unchallenged when making these hate-filled statements.
We therefore call on our leaders in Africa to step up and to urgently speak out against this despicable statement.
Media Enquiries:
Carlos Mesquita, Leadership Representative: LBGTIQ+ community
Cell: 071 341 3378
Email: carlosmesquita396@gmail.com
Janke Tolmay, GOOD Media Manager
Cell: 073 367 1223
Email: janke@forgood.org.za