Mugabe lashes Tutu over gays

Politics
PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe on Saturday urged renowned South African archbishop Desmond Tutu to resign saying he was failing to interpret the Bible

PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe on Saturday urged renowned South African archbishop Desmond Tutu to resign saying he was failing to interpret the Bible by supporting homosexually.

REPORT BY NQOBILE BHEBHE

Mugabe has centred his campaign ahead of Wednesday’s harmonised elections on rabid opposition to homosexuality.

At a rally at White City Stadium in Bulawayo, the 89-year-old Zanu PF leader also hit out at United States President Barack Obama for tying rights of homosexuals to aid.

“I heard there is a bishop in South Africa, Tutu, saying it’s right for a man to marry a man and woman marrying a woman. Never, never, never!” Mugabe thundered. “When bishops fail to interpret the Bible properly they should resign and leave those who can to do the job.”

Tutu, on Friday told a United Nations launch of its gay-rights campaign in Cape Town that he would rather choose to go to hell than worship a God who condemned homosexuality.

“I would not worship a God who is homophobic and that is how deeply I feel about this,” Tutu said.

“I would refuse to go to a homophobic heaven. No, I would say sorry. I mean I would much rather go to the other place.”

Mugabe said his rival, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai also supported homosexuality.

“Obama says we won’t give you money if you don’t support homosexuality. When did we say we want his money?” Mugabe asked.

“Tsvangirai says people must be free to choose whether they want homosexuality or not.

“There is no choice at all. Man must marry a woman. Even our animals know that they should go for the opposite sex” he added.