Robert Mugabe says he prefers Chinese aid because Beijing does not force him to accept homosexuality

Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe told a Chinese TV interviewer that he resents Western international aid because it always depends on conditions such as accepting homosexuality.

Ahead of his return to Harare from a visit to China, Mr Mugabe – who is not known for his liberal attitudes towards Africa's gay and lesbian community – praised Beijing for being "very constructive" in its assistance towards Zimbabwe.

"Whereas Europe and America, when they give little funding assistance to countries they always attach conditions," he said. "And that is our objection."

Mr Mugabe, who once threatened to deport from his country any diplomat who discussed gay rights issues, added that the West always wanted African leaders to "embrace homosexuality".

One of his last homophobic rants came in February at the wedding of his daughter Bona. He reportedly told guests: "We don't accept homosexuality here. God made men and women so they can bear children.

Mr Mugabe also recently said that Zimbabwe would not allow any gay diplomats into Harare, and regularly refers to gay people as "pigs" and "dogs."

The Zimbabwean leader went to China to try and bail out his country's bankrupt economy. He returned home without any cash or even soft loans, but signed a handful of expensive deals to support ongoing infrastructural repairs and power generation as well as a pledge for a new coal mine.

During his TV interview, Mr Mugabe told viewers that China went into African projects using joint ventures whereas European businesses would not share their profits.

"They think Africa is their God-given territory because once upon a time they oppressed us. They had colonies in Africa. They had shared Africa like a cake, this part belongs to the British, that part to the Belgians and that other part to the French, the Germans. There was that scramble for Africa. Not so with the Chinese."

At the end of last year, Mr Mugabe's Zanu PF party unveiled a five year economic blueprint to create more than two million new jobs with investments of up to £16 billion.

Details of the latest Chinese financial agreements are secret and analysts in Harare say Mr Mugabe must allow parliament to scrutinise what he signed off with President Xi Jinping in Beijing last week.

"These will be the most expensive deals ever," said economist John Robertson in Harare.

Another, who asked not to be named, added: "We will be paying double for all of this so-called investment as Chinese insurers rate Zimbabwe as high risk, in the 'E' category, even worse than Sudan."

ZIMBABWE'S MUGABE TELLS WORLD TO KEEP ITS 'HOMOSEXUAL NONSENSE', SAYS HE'LL EXPEL PRO-GAY DIPLOMATS

Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe used a speech on Friday to speak out against gay rights and countries seeking to punish African nations who punish homosexuality, threatening to expel pro-gay diplomats.

Said Mugabe during celebrations to mark his country's 34th independence anniversary at the giant National Sports Stadium, Harare:

"Some years ago, l was warned that there was some secret organisation of that nature which was addressing young men...to join them as homosexuals. This nonsense from Europe, keep their homosexual nonsense there and not cross over with it....We did not fight for this Zimbabwe so it can be a homosexual territory. We will never have that here and if there are any diplomats who will talk of any homosexuality, just tell me. We will kick them out of the country without any excuse. We won’t even listen."

Mugabe added that the world will never see homosexuality decriminalized in Zimbabwe:

"They even refuse today that if a man has sex with another man it’s wrong, its sodomy. If you pass a law that rejects homosexual marriages, ‘we will punish you’ like what they are doing to Uganda and us. And they say they want you to believe that if a man gets another man and they have a homosexual relationship, they have human rights to do so. If you pass a law that rejects homosexual marriages, ‘we will punish you’ like what they are doing to Uganda and us. And they say they want you to believe that if a man gets another man and they have a homosexual relationship, they have human rights to do so."

He added:

"What is wrong is wrong and cannot be right but they say no, human beings are free to marry each other, and look at the absurdity of it all, when God created the world, we leant from the Bible, He created animals, forests, lastly He created man. Because man was lonely, He got from the side of man, a rib and created a woman...that’s the start of society as we know it from the bible."

Zimbabwe President Mugabe Just Learned There are Homosexuals in His Country, Backs Uganda's Anti-Gay Law

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe spoke out in support of Uganda's Anti-Homosexuality Law on Monday and condemned Western nations for threatening to cut aid, AFP reports. 

 

Said Mugabe:

"They (the West) want to tell us... that it's a violation of human rights, that is what they are doing to Museveni right now...The human right you have as a man is to marry another woman not to get another man to marry, we refuse that. It's a terrible world we are in, a terrible world where people want to do things that they feel will enhance their own interests."

Mugabe also said that he has become aware of a group of gays in Zimbabwe and plans to investigate:

"I understand we have a group of homosexuals in this country. I didn't know until I was told the day before yesterday. So we want to check on who is in that group."

AFP notes: "The Gays and Lesbians Association of Zimbabwe (GALZ) has long operated in the country despite Mugabe's ranting against homosexuality. Police have on several occasions raided the GALZ offices and prosecutors had laid charges against the association accusing it of operating an unregistered organisation."

Mugabe spoke out against gays last July no less than seven times, threatening to chop off their heads:

 “If you take men and lock them in a house for five years and tell them to come up with two children and they fail to do that, then we will chop off their heads. This thing (homosexuality) seeks to destroy our lineage by saying John and John should wed, Maria and Maria should wed. Imagine this son born out of an African father...Obama says if you want aid, you should accept the homosexuality practice. Aah, we will never do that.”

Mugabe has previously claimed that gay men pose a threat to women's rights, condemned the "gay filth" of European culture, as well as threatened the U.K.'s prime minister over their support of same-sex couples.

Mugabe Issues Threat To Gays: 'We Will Chop Off Their Heads'

This latest threat came during a campaign rally in Mutare at the Aerodrome Ground. The Zimbabwean president has an extensive history of fiercely anti-gay remarks. During the rally, Mugabe told a crowd of his followers:

 “If you take men and lock them in a house for five years and tell them to come up with two children and they fail to do that, then we will chop off their heads. This thing (homosexuality) seeks to destroy our lineage by saying John and John should wed, Maria and Maria should wed. Imagine this son born out of an African father...Obama says if you want aid, you should accept the homosexuality practice. Aah, we will never do that.”

According to SW Radio Africa, Mugabe has verbally attacked gay people publicly no less than seven times during the month of July alone...

"Regardless of any personal feelings about homosexuality, a country’s leader should never call for violence against any group or individual. These unprovoked utterances by a Head of State whose rallies have so far been immediately followed by a surge in harassment of political opponents, are likely to spread fear and despondency within the gay community."

Mugabe's verbal attacks have also elicited grievances from GALZ, Zimbabwe's LGBT advocacy group. The organization sent a letter to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission Wednesday decrying the president's continued use of "hate speech"...

"GALZ notes with concern that ZANU PF’s instruments of intimidation and electioneering, which include the subject of gays, remains as strong as ever and is once again being used during its campaign rallies. It has become customary for the President to attempt to whip up a climate of hysterical homophobia against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people before, during and after elections."

Said "hysterical homophobia" was also why GALZ was subject to an armed assault on June 6, according to the letter, which also called for an investigation to ensure that Mugabe and his party would not hijack the political process.

Mugabe's hateful rhetoric is also being condemned by other LGBT activists throughout Africa. Frank Malaba, a South African actor and human rights activist, has also warned of the potential repercussions of such hate speech:

“Mugabe should know that his followers listen to him and so if he gives them the go-ahead to be violent and to behead gay people, they will do that. Today it is gays and lesbians, tomorrow it will be women, albinos, whites, and anyone Mugabe dislikes. This should not be allowed in an independent country.”