SISTAH SISTA FOUNDATION SUMMONED BY POLICE FOR HIGHLIGHTING LGBTQ AT THEIR EVENT
March 5, 2023 – The Sistah Sistah Foundation Zambia applied for a permit to hold a March-past within Lusaka District to raise awareness against women and girls sexual and Gender Based Violence.
The application was made on February 22, 2023 and the march- past was slated for March 4, 2023 at the Rugby Club in the Show Grounds.
The permit was granted considering that issues of sexual and GBV are on the increase as detected by the Police Victim Support Unit.
As such, this was deemed to be a noble cause by the Police. In the same vain, the same request was made to the Lusaka City Council and the Sistah Sistah Foundation were given a go-ahead.
It has, however, come to the attention of the Zambia Police Service that during the said March-past, conveners exhibited a different agenda from the one whose permit they sort for. The agenda seemed to have highlighted issues of LGBTQ ( Homosexuality).
According to the laws of Zambia, practicing homosexuality is a crime punishable by law. Sections 155 and 157 of the Penal Code Chapter 87 of the Laws of Zambia criminalize same-sex conduct between consenting adults. In addition, Zambia is a Christian nation and government does not champion homosexuality.
It is in this vain that the Zambia Police Service has summoned the conveners of the March-past in order to ascertain why the event was turned into a forum for championing homosexuality.
Members of the public are therefore, warned that they should not flout the law deliberately by taking advantage of the prevailing environment that allows for freedom of expression and assembly.
Danny Mwale
Deputy Police Public Relations Officer
