Hertta-Maria Amutenja
The Christian Coalition of Churches in Namibia requested that President Nangolo Mbumba sign a bill amending the Marriage Act, which prohibits the solemnisation and recognition of same-sex marriages in Namibia.
In a letter addressed to Mbumba on 16 June, the coalition emphasised the importance of preserving Namibian society’s moral and ethical fabric and called upon Mbumba to urgently sign the bill.
“We therefore call upon you, Mr President, to urgently sign the Bill amending the Marriage Act and prohibiting the solemnisation and recognition of same-sex marriage in the Republic of Namibia.”
The letter expressed concern over the promotion of lesbianism, homosexuality, bisexuality, transgender, queer, and intersex-related issues in Namibia, particularly through comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) in schools.
The coalition stressed that CSE aims to change societal gender and sexual norms and establish rights for children as sexually autonomous beings. They warned against the influence of international organisations offering financial support to promote these agendas.
They highlighted the need to recognise and uphold Jesus Christ’s lordship over the nation and referenced various biblical scriptures to support their stance.
“Mr President, God has a great plan for Namibia. As the Church, we sense that Namibia is at a crucial place in its journey, and God wants to bring this nation to its destined glory,” the letter stated.
In addition, the coalition cited health risks associated with homosexuality, referencing the HIV/AIDS pandemic and the 2022 monkeypox outbreak.
They claimed that men who have sex with other men transmit a percentage of new HIV infections.
“We commend the Parliament of the Republic of Namibia for providing guidance for our nation to uphold morality and to protect our nation from disease outbreaks in line with Articles 13 and 14 of the Constitution,” the letter read.
The Coalition supported the unanimous passing of the Bill in Parliament in 2023, which aims to amend the Marriage Act to define marriage, same-sex marriage, and spouses and to prohibit same-sex marriage.
They referenced the Combating Immoral Practices Act of 1980, which criminalises sodomy and prohibits homosexual practices.
Last week, the high court ruled in favour of decriminalising sodomy.
The ruling declared that the criminalisation of consensual same-sex relations between adults is unconstitutional, infringing upon the right to privacy and equality.
The letter also cited the African Union Heads of State and government’s decision in Kampala in July 2010 to reject any attempts to undermine the international human rights system by imposing concepts related to private individual conduct.
