The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema will lead the picket against Uganda’s anti-homosexuality bill at the Ugandan High Commission in Pretoria, on Tuesday.
The Ugandan parliament has passed a controversial anti-homosexuality bill, which makes homosexual acts punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
Only two members of the ruling party voted against the bill, which has attracted widespread global condemnation.
The bill is yet to be signed into law by Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni.
Malema has urged the government of Uganda to reverse this decision.
“You cannot promote hate and then fold our arms and don’t show the Ugandan government that we don’t agree with hate. We are victims of hate. We were discriminated against on the basis of our identity and as a result, so many people were killed and this law that is passed in Uganda is going to be an act of hate. What if Museveni is gay and he hasn’t discovered it? And he can discover it now at an advanced age.”
Controversial bill
More international bodies have denounced the Ugandan bill. The controversial bill has attracted attention from the East African nation.
The Open for Business Coalition says once it becomes the law it will damage Uganda’s economy and deter tourists.
Ugandan Parliament Speaker Anita Annet said, “This House will not shy to restrict any right to the extent of the house that recognises, protects and safeguards the sovereignty of this country, the morals of this country, the cultures and will always legislate for our people. That’s what the majority have done today in this house, the 389 members of parliament.”
The Ugandan parliament overwhelmingly voted in favour of the controversial anti-homosexuality bill. This has seen outrage from far and wide as the new law will introduce steep sentences like life in prison for same-sex relations and the death penalty for aggravated homosexuality.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre says, “The bill is one of the most extreme anti-LGBTQI+ laws in the world. Human rights are universal. No one should be attacked, imprisoned, or killed simply because of who they are or whom they love.”
The business community in Kampala is also very concerned about the far-reaching implications if the law is promulgated.
Open For Business Coalition Yvonne Muthoni says, “It puts businesses in an impossible situation, either they violate the law in Uganda or they are going against international standards of corporate responsibility as well as human rights laws in the countries in which they are headquartered.”
