Stefanus Nashama
A furious Pohamba Shifeta, Namibia’s Minister of Environment, Forestry and Tourism, yesterday told the Windhoek Observer that sodomy is a crime and should not be tolerated in Namibia, calling for the arrest of anyone engaging in it.
“Homosexuality is sodomy, and sodomy is a crime, and like any other criminal activity, it contradicts and violates the law of this country and the African cultures,” Shifeta said.
He said that the Namibian Police should not sympathize with sodomy at all and should arrest those that have admitted publicly to having engaged in such sexual activities.
“The Namibian Police should arrest those people in the same way they arrest a poor mother who may steal bread from a shop to feed her hungry baby,” he said.
The minister made these remarks yesterday after confirming that he is indeed the speaker in audio notes widely circulated yesterday in which he specifically said he will decisively deal with people accusing him of being gay.
Shifeta explained that what he said in the audio is self-defence and he cannot keep quiet about such terrible allegations
“I have the right to self-defence. I just defended myself from what is untrue. People think we’re cowardly politicians when we do not take action. I am not a coward. I was provoked. I have never provoked anybody. I am also a human being,” he stressed. According to him, the public is spreading untruths on social media and elsewhere about him which he describes as an injury.
He said that he has laid criminal charges with the Namibian Police, to specifically deal with those that are accusing him of being a gay minister. He has also asked the police to investigate the accusations.
The Minister said he will no longer be silent on these accusations driven by people with a hidden agenda. “There are some jealous people and they cannot sleep without accusing and tarnishing other people’s names. They hate other people for nothing,” he said.
He stated that he will not waste his money by approaching the Courts and that the Namibian Police should do something. Shifeta has since urged all men to walk around with canes and beat up homosexuals because the country cannot allow sodomy.
“I am not threatening people but homosexualism is sodomy which cannot be allowed in this country,” he said in the audio.
Shifeta said this is not the first time he is accused of something untrue, adding that last year when he was campaigning for Presidency, he was accused of going to “Omulonga gwaNkumbi’, Kunene river, with the heart of a child to consult with traditional doctors.
He also urged the public to analyze and investigate things before commenting and that they should not celebrate when other people’s names and characters are defamed.
