Date: Mon, 26 May 1997 04:15:27 -0700 From: Ron Buckmire Subject: ZIBABWE: Policeman Forces His Way Into GALZ Office Date: Thu, 22 May 1997 10:02:38 -0500 (EST) From: Daniel Soto-Mayorga > HARARE May 19 1997 Sapa > > POLICE RAID GAY ORGANISATION'S OFFICE > > A man identifying himself as a police chief inspector forced > his way into the offices of Zimbabwe's beleagured gay rights > organisation on Monday and threatened to arrest members, officials > said. > > Gerald Chibwana, a member of the Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe, > told Sapa that a lone plainclothes chief inspector, who produced > identity documents and was carrying a copy of the GALZ newsletter, > arrived in a vehicle with a police registration number about > lunchtime, "wanting to find out if gay people are operating here". > > "He wanted to know who leads the gay organisation and where > they can be found," Chibwana said. "He said they were going to be > picked up." > > Chibwana and six other GALZ members refused to let him into the > premises, but he pushed his way into an office and interrogated a > young woman. He stayed about 20 minutes and promised to return > later. > > However, by early evening, he had not returned. > > Police comment was not available. > > The incident occurred on the first day of a state visit to > Zimbabwe by South Africa's President Nelson Mandela, who is revered > by Zimbabwean gays for his country's liberal attitude to > homosexuality. > > Zimbabwe outlaws sodomy and sex between consenting males and > Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe two years ago launched an angry > anti-gay crusade in which he declared they were "worse than dogs > and pigs" and urged vigilante action against them. > Midwestern Higher Education Commission web site: http://www.umn.edu/mhec/ e-mail: mhec@tc.umn.edu gopher: gopher.mhec.umn.edu:11163 voice: (612) 626-8288 1300 South Second Street, Suite 130 fax: (612) 626-8290 Minneapolis, MN 55454-1015 ================END OF FORWARDED TEXT=================