Woman in Zimbabwe gay case charged
Members of the Gay and Lesbian Coalition of Kenya in a protest march in Nairobi on December 1, 2010. Photo/FILE
What you need to know:
- Martha Tholanah, chairperson of the Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe appeared before Harare magistrate Don Ndirowei who postponed the hearing to February 26.
A woman has been charged at a Zimbabwean court with running an illegal gays organisation.
Martha Tholanah, chairperson of the Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe appeared before Harare magistrate Don Ndirowei who postponed the hearing to February 26.
She denied the charges and urged the court to acquit her, with her lawyer Tonderai Bhatasara citing a High Court ruling last month, which said Galz was not obliged to register as a voluntary organisation.
Rights groups also criticised the government's move to arrest her saying this is a way of harassing homosexuals.
HARRASSED BY POLICE
The gays and lesbians community in Zimbabwe say they are routinely harassed by the police.
Ms Tholanah was first charged in August 2012 when police raided Galz offices in Harare and arrested several members of the organisation.
Last month, the High Court ordered police to release property that was seized from the offices after ruling that the raid was illegal.
President Robert Mugabe has in the past described homosexuals as worse than dogs and pigs.
At the weekend, as he celebrated his 90th birthday, the veteran ruler said homosexuals are misusing their reproductive organs.
“We don’t accept homosexuality here. God made men and women so they can bear children,” he said.
