Uganda’s egregious attempt to outlaw homosexuality has sparked outrage from human rights campaigners and progressive voices in defence of civil liberties.
Significantly, yesterday in Pretoria EFF leader Julius Malema led a march to the Ugandan high commission to condemn the country’s law which criminalises people identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ).
On the other hand, the SA government’s silence on this issue of human rights violations has been deafening and extremely shameful. This is because SA’s foreign policy has always been guided by commitment to human rights and democracy.
Just two months ago while Ugandan lawmakers were mulling on the bill seeking to regulate people’s rights to be themselves, SA rolled out the red carpet for president Yoweri Museveni and failed to publicly raise the issue.
Our silence therefore on something that we are held in high esteem for when it comes to progressive democracies is a betrayal of our founding values.
Of course, Uganda is sovereign state that can enact laws without interference from other countries, but it is our silence when fraternising with human rights violators that is a problem here. Our inaction makes us complicit in the marginalising and injustices facing Ugandan LGBTQ community.
On the surface it may look like SA is adopting a quiet diplomacy on the matter as it did on Zimbabwe years ago. But the point here is that the course of our diplomatic relations should never be dictated to by us compromising on values. The end result is that while SA sits on its hands and does nothing, Museveni will sign into law a bill that deprives people of their human dignity and rights.
Uganda’s passing of the discriminatory bill is a deeply troubling development in the continent.
The irony of SA’s stance on this fundamental human rights issue is that had other countries adopted similar posture in the fight against apartheid we wouldn’t be where we are today. SA could be a perfect advocate in the protection of human rights having overcome apartheid with solidarity of other countries.
But for this to happen we must have political will to be more responsive against human rights abuses, show courage and speak the loudest.
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