London, 14 November 2012

With tensions in Malawi on the subject of homosexuality persisting, last week Malawi’s Minister for Justice, Ralph Kasambara, denied that laws which criminalise homosexual acts have been suspended. Only days earlier Minister Kasambara had announced that the laws were to be suspended pending a discussion in Parliament on their repeal. His latest announcement has been seen as a u-turn and is largely suspected to be a response to pressure from the Malawi Council of Churches, which strongly opposes the de-criminalisation of homosexual acts. Minister Kasambara’s comments mark another step back for gay rights in Malawi, following President Banda’s statement in October that Malawi is “not ready” to decriminalise homosexual acts.