Staff Reporter
The Government has issued a stern rebuke against foreign higher learning institutions offering scholarships to prospective Zimbabweans if they are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT).
Yesterday, Vice President (VP) Constantino Chiwenga vehemently denounced such scholarships, emphasising the Government's firm stance against the LGBT culture.
VP Chiwenga affirmed that Zimbabwean law prohibits such activities, branding them as unlawful, unChristian, and contrary to Zimbabwean and African values.
"The Government of Zimbabwe strongly and firmly rejects and denounces as unlawful, unChristian, anti-Zimbabwean, and unAfrican insidious attempts by foreign interests to entice, lure, and recruit Zimbabwe’s less privileged but able students into lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender activities and malpractices through offers of educational scholarships," declared VP Chiwenga.
According to VP Chiwenga, these scholarship offers represent a direct assault on Zimbabwe's sovereignty and national identity.
He asserted that the Government views such offers as challenges to its authority and will take decisive measures to uphold national laws and values.
VP Chiwenga categorically stated that Zimbabwean schools and higher education institutions will not entertain applicants associated with values that contradict the nation's cultural and moral ethos.
He further urged deserving students to seek scholarships from Government departments responsible for awarding grants, emphasising the importance of upholding moral principles and the need to reject offers that compromise personal integrity.
In response to the Government's condemnation, commentator Calvin Chitsunge expressed concern over the perceived recruitment tactics employed by Western-funded organisations to exacerbate social tensions within Zimbabwe.
“This stance underscores the Government's commitment to protecting Zimbabwean youth from what it perceives as harmful influences detrimental to the nation's cultural and moral fabric,” said Chitsunge.
Chitsunge further highlighted a broader regional context, citing similar measures taken by other African nations like Uganda and Ghana to resist what they view as unwanted Western interference in matters concerning LGBTQ+ rights.
“The Government's strong opposition to LGBTQ+ scholarship offers reaffirms Zimbabwe's sovereignty and commitment to preserving its cultural and moral values. By rejecting foreign interference in its educational sector, Zimbabwe underscores its determination to safeguard its national identity and uphold traditional values in the face of external pressures,” added Chitsunge.
The Zimbabwean Government's unequivocal rejection of scholarships linked to LGBTQ+ recruitment serves as a declaration of its unwavering commitment to upholding national sovereignty and cultural integrity.
This firm stance reaffirms Zimbabwe's resolve to chart its own course in accordance with its unique values and aspirations.
