WINDHOEK, March 20 (AFP) - Namibia's President Sam Nujoma has called on police to arrest, deport and imprison gays and lesbians, saying homosexual behaviour was not permitted despite the country's liberal constitution.
"The Republic of Namibia does not allow homosexuality, lesbianism here. Police are ordered to arrest you, and deport you and imprison you," Nujoma told students in a speech at the University of Namibia on Monday, as reported by state television.
Decrying "foreign influences" among the country's youth, Nujoma also rallied against alcohol abuse, which he said caused promiscuity and fueled the country's HIV/AIDS pandemic.
He said alcohol abuse led to domestic violence and "even men cooking their wives", a reference to a case a few years ago when a German national residing in Namibia killed his wife and cut up and cooked her remains.
People who drank too much often went home with "any man, any woman," Nujoma said, adding that this was contributing to the country's HIV/AIDS infection rate.
Last week, the health ministry estimated AIDS orphans would number some 118,000 in Namibia by 2006.
"Are we not a sick nation?" he asked.
Nujoma, like his Zimbabwean counterpart President Robert Mugabe, has acquired a reputation as a gay-basher in the last few years.
Prominent members of his cabinet, including Home Affairs Minister Jerry Ekandjo, have previously called for gays and homosexuals "to be eliminated" from Namibian society.
The Namibian Society for Human Rights (NSHR) on Tuesday said it considered "Nujoma's latest homophobic attack as dangerous and violent words from a popular leader (that) may lead to violence against innocent citizens."
The NSHR said targeting people because of their sexual orientation was as bad as racial discrimination, and Nujoma could not decree a clampdown on homosexuals in contravention of the constitution.
"His attempt to turn a personal dislike into ad hoc national policy is entirely unconstitutional and misguided," the organisation said.
"President Nujoma's words are not law, nor can they suddenly become law and he is definitely not above the law," NSHR said.
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