This report is in isiZulu. See a summary in English below

MABUTHO: Oyisikhulu esiphezulu kwikhomishana yamalungelo abantu abayizinkonkoni, i International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission ephikweni olubhekele izindaba zamazwe aseAfrica, u Cary Alan Johnson, uthi kuyadabukisa ukuthi phezu kokuthi izwekazi laseAfrica linabantu abangamaphesenti ayishumi nesithupha abaphila naleligciwane lesandulelangculaza emhlabeni kodwa mincane kakhulu imibhalo ebandakanya abantu abayizinkonkoni ezinhlelweni zokulwisana nalolubhubhane.

CARY ALAN JOHNSON: Among the hundreds of thousands of articles and books that have been written about HIV in Africa, eventually none or a very small percentage takes into account the issues of same sex transmissions of HIV.

MABUTHO: Uthi kwezinye izikhathi abantu abathandana nabantu bobulili obufanayo bazithola bebhekana nokuboshwa beboshelwa nje ukuthi bathandana nabantu abanobulili obufana nobabo. Uthi lokhu nakuba kwenzeka kwamanye amazwe kodwa uthi emazweni afana nelaseCameroon, eKenya kanye nakwelase Zimbabwe kuthanda ukuthi kube nzima kakhulu.

CARY ALAN JOHNSON: Gay men and lesbians face, on a regular basis, habitual arrest and detention in countries through-out the world. In Camerroon, Kenya and Zimbabwe people are arrested without trial simply because they are gays and lesbians.

MABUTHO: Uthi okudabukisa kakhulu ukuthi uma abesilisa abathandana nabanye besilisa beboshwa bayaye bafakwe emagumbini ahlala iziboshwa eziyingozi njengesijeziso bese bezithola sebedlwengulwa, bathole negciwane lesandulelangculaza.

CARY ALAN JOHNSON: When a gay man, in particular, goes into a prison what happens?   Sometimes as a form of punishment he is placed in a cell with the most hardened criminals as a form of punishment. Gay men become victims of sexual abuse in prisons.

MABUTHO:   Oka Johnson ukhala nangezinhlelo zohulumeni bamazwe omhlaba ezifana noABC. Uthi lezinhlelo azizibabandakanyi abantu abayizinkonkoni futhi zinjalo nje ziyababandlulula. Uthi uma kunguthi izinhlelo zokulwisana negciwane lesandulelangculaza ziyaqhubeka nokuthi zibandlulule abantu abayizinkonkoni kuyosho ukuthi akukenziwa lutho ukulwisana nalolubhubhane.

CARY ALAN JOHNSON: The bottom line is, if our needs as same-sex practicing people  are not addressed in this epidemic, none of the other work that has been done to fight HIV will be effective.

MABUTHO: Khonamanjalo uThuli Madi osebenzela umthombo wezindaba obhala ngezindaba zabantu abathandana nabobulili obufanayo ezwenikazi laseAfrica, i-Behind the Mask, uthi inkinga idalwa ukuthi ohulumeni abaningi bamazwe aseAfrica bathatha indaba yabantu abathandana nabantu bobulili obufanayo njengento engahambisani nokuba ngumAfrica nokumele ikhahlelwe ngezinyawo zombili.

THULI MADI: Uma ngabe kuza odabeni lwengculaza kanye namakhathakhathana okufanele athathwe kuvinjelwe ukuthi isifo sigcwale, kuba wukuthi abantu bobulili obufanayo abathandayo abanakwa. Ngakho ke sikhala ngokuthi kumele banakwe. Umthetho wakhona nezinhlelo ezikhona ezinhlanganweni ezithize kumele  zikhumbule ukuthi kukhona abantu bobulili obufanayo abathandanayo nabo okumele banakwe ukuze kuvinjelwe ukuthi lesisifo sigcwale i-Africa.

MABUTHO: Kanti uZakhele Mbele ovela enhlanganweni yabantu abathandana nabantu bobulili obufanayo yezitshudeni zaseWits, iWits Activates, uthi yena akubona kuthanda ukuthi kubakhathaze kakhulu ukungabibikho kwezikhangiso zokulwisana negciwane lesandulelangculaza ezibandakanya abantu bobulili obufanayo.

ZAKHELE MBELE: Into engingakhala ngayo kakhulu ukuthi uma kukhulunywa nge HIV/AIDS lawo mamessage kwesinye isikhathi azwakwala sengathi abantu bobulili obufanayo awabafaki. Ngoba uma ubheka izikhangiso ezikhona kubonakala sengathi zikhuluma nabantu abangama heterosexual kuphela.

MABUTHO: Phakathi kwamaphuzu abalulekile abalulwa ilombiko we International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission okumele abhekisiswe yilabo abengamele izinhlelo zegciwane lesandulelangculaza nengculaza ukungathathwa kwabantu abayizinkonkoni njengabantu abafanayo nabantu bonke, imigomo yezinhlangano zamazwe omhlaba ezinikela izimali zokulwisana naleligciwane ecwasa izinkonkoni, ukwehluleka kwezinhlangano ezizimele ukubhekela izidingo zabantu abayizinkonkoni kanjalo nokwehluleka kwazo izinhlangano zabantu abayizinkonkoni ukuthi zidlale indima ebalulekile ekuzibandakanyekeni nezinhlelo eziphathelene nokulwisana negciwane lesandulelangculaza ngenxa yokuntuleka kwamakhono kanye nokucwaswa kwazo.

ENGLISH SUMMARY

HIV/AIDS programming is failing LGBTs ‘€“report

A recent report by the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission has slammed African governments’€™ programmes on HIV/AIDS on their continued failure to address the needs of same-sex practising people in Africa.

Speaking during the tabling of the report in Johannesburg, Cary Alan Johnson, senior specialist on Africa for the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, said that ‘€œthe exclusion of the same-sex practicing community in HIV/AIDS programmes on the African continent, which is home to 60% of those living with HIV, is disturbing’€.

‘€œAmong the hundreds of thousands of articles and books that have been written about HIV in Africa eventual none or very small percentage takes into account the issues of same sex transmissions of HIV, he said.

Johnson added that same-sex practicing people are often victimized because of the stigma that is attached to it. ‘€œGay men and lesbians face, on a regular basis, habitual arrest and detention in countries through-out the world. In Cameroon, Kenya and Zimbabwe people are arrested without trial simply because they are gays and lesbians,’€ he said.

‘€œWhen a gay man, in particular, goes into a prison what happens? Sometimes, as a form of punishment, he is placed in a cell with the most hardened criminals as a form of punishment. Gay men become victims of sexual abuse in prison.’€

Meanwhile, Thuli Madi, Director of the South African-based online publication, Behind the Mask, which writes on issues pertaining to gays and lesbians on the African continent said the exclusion of same-sex practicing people on HIV/AIDS programmes is caused by failure of the African governments to recognize their existence (same-sex practicing people) on the continent.

‘€œWhen it comes to the issue of HIV/AIDS prevention strategies, same-sex practicing people are not considered. We therefore want to see changes. In fact, those HIV/AIDS organizations should also remember that there are same-sex practicing people who need to be included in their programmes.’€

According to Zakhele Mbele from the Wits Activate, lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans-gender student organization at Wits University, Johannesburg, current AIDS awareness messages exclude same-sex practicing people. He cites advertisements as an example. ‘€œWhen it comes to the messages in most HIV/AIDS adverts, they do not include same-sex practicing people, they seems to be targeting heterosexuals only.’€

The IGLHRC report outlined four points that make African governments to exclude same-sex practicing people in their programmes.

These are;

–                 Homophobiac stigma and denial;

–                 restrictive international reproductive health policies of foreign donors, such as the US ‘€“ which the report accuses of compromising the sexual rights of all;

–                 the failure by international and domestic non-governmental organizations to come up with a solid, concrete record of the needs of same-sex practicing people, and;

–                 the insufficient skills and resources in most Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual       and Transgender organizations on the continent.