Discussions held at the ZCA organised indaba held last week revealed that while some of the members of the church who run civic grouping were arguing that homosexuality should be included in the constitution some stood firm against its inclusion arguing that it was morally wrong for the church to permit homosexuality.

One of the participants who declined to be named argued that churches should acknowledge people as people regardless of their attitudes.

“Let’s be sincere. Churches should realise that although homosexuality is wrong it is there and there are people who practice it. We as churches must therefore acknowledge people as people and as equal before God regardless of their attitudes,” said one of the participants who declined to be named.

Some of the pastors who were part of the indaba said the church should not be seen to be institutionalizing a wrong.

“We must not institutionalize a wrong. Homosexuality is a social and morally wrong practice. Lets not be advocates of those social wrongs. Those people who practice homosexuality are subject to demoniacs and are against God’s sanctified marriage
institution. I therefore suggest that on the basis of morality let’s ban homosexuality,” said one of the pastors who spoke against the inclusion of the homosexuality in the constitution.

The National Director of the ZCA Rev Useni Sibanda also spoke highly against the inclusion of homosexuality in the constitution saying the church should protect family values as enshrined in the Bible.

He said it would be bad for the church to advocate for the inclusion in the country’s constitution of homosexuality arguing that the church should promote family building as against its destruction.

He added that it was gross neglect of its duties as a promoter of good moral values for the church to be seen working hand in glove with such associations as the gay and lesbian association.

“The church should protect family values as enshrined in the bible. We should not waste time discussing such issues as the Gay and Lesbian Association is going to raise that one. However, anyone from the Zimbabwe Christian Alliance who want to support the inclusion of homosexuality in the country’s constitution should simply walk out and go there,” said Rev Useni.

The Zimbabwe Christian Alliance (ZCA) is a civic organisation made up of different churches that form the country’s Christian community.

The issue of homosexuality has been a thorn in the flesh of some of the churches and is not new to the Christian community. It has led to the split of the Anglican Church after reports that some members of the church were supporting the practice with Bishop Nolbert Kunonga leading the splinter group that was anti-homosexual.

The President has also been on record critisising the practice in Zimbabwe as highly immoral and not African.

The indaba was attended by the Minister of Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs Adv. Eric Matinenga among other notable heads of church denominations.

The inclusion of sexuality rights is likely to cause cracks in the new government as Zanu PF's Mugabe has on many occasions said he likens gays to pigs and never in his lifetime would such people be permitted in Zimbabwe.