Malawi gay couple sentenced

Posted on Thursday 20 May 2010 - 10:44
Chancy Namadzunda, AfricaNews reporter in Lilongwe Malawi
A judge in Malawi's city of Blantyre has sentenced a gay couple to 14 years in prison with hard labour after they were convicted of gross indecency and unnatural acts. Magistrate Nyakwawa Usiwa Usiwa said he has passed the stiff punishment to protect the general public from immoral behaviour.
Steven Monjeza, 26, and Tiwonge Chimbalanga, 20, were arrested last year in December after getting engaged publicly in Blantyre, the southern commercial city of Malawi.
Usiwa Usiwa said this will be an example to all Malawians not to emulate the horrendous example of homosexuality.
Richard Brigden a Britain trained lawyer said the sentencing was uncalled for since it is going to two “innocent” people who have duly exercised their right.
Malawi Watch Executive Director Billy Banda said the two are indeed guilty but wondered why they were accorded the maximum jail term.
“Maximum jail term is imposed on someone who has committed a very criminal case and I think these two people did not reach to that,” said Banda
The Defence lawyer Mauya Msuku said they will sit down and look at the judgment before they decide what to do next.