Saturday, 29 May 2010
Malawi Couple: Free At Last
Great news - the President of Malawi has pardoned Steven Monjeza and Tiwonge Chimbalanga, following a visit to the country by the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
We might now see some interesting questions answered: Why did the Malawi newspaper The Nation put their "marriage" on its front page last December? It was this publicity, that led to their arrest.
How many men are currently in prison in Malawi for committing "unnatural offences"? Will they also be released?
And how do Steven and Tiwonge feel about being described as a "gay couple" when it appears that they split up in December and moreover Tiwonge identifies not as a gay man, but as a woman?
From an interview in The Times (London)in January; "Dressed in a blouse and describing himself as a woman, he said that they became engaged after “my darling, Steven, proposed love to me and we agreed to get married”.
"Unlike Mr Monjeza, he refused to accept that he had broken any law. “Which laws? I am a woman, I can do what a woman can do,” he said. “I love Steven for what he is, he doesn’t give me money. In fact, I do everything for him, but love is love.”'
More importantly, will the UK offer them asylum?
Labels:
gay,
Malawi,
Steven Monjeza,
Tiwonge Chimbalanga
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The only Western-based media I can find that asks why they were singled out - and what will happen to them now they have been released is from... Voice of America!
ReplyDeletehttp://www1.voanews.com/english/news/africa/Malawi-Gay-Couple-Heads-Home-after-Gaining-Reprieve-from-President-Mutharika-95240199.html