Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items

Africa Month: Uganda anti-gay law contradicts African Union goals

31 May 2023 | Story Valentino Ndaba | Photo Charl Devenish

UFS Federation of African Law Students Panel Discussion — The passing of the Anti-Homosexuality Bill in Uganda has raised concerns about human rights violations.

Uganda recently passed its Anti-Homosexuality Bill into law, sparking condemnation from the international community. This development coincides with the continent commemorating Africa Month as is customary in May.

The timing of Uganda’s signing of the anti-gay bill into law on the 60th anniversary of the African Union (AU) raises concerns about the contradiction between the AU's objective of promoting unity, nation-building, and freedom from discrimination and the enactment of legislation that violates these principles. It highlights the ongoing struggle to achieve equality and respect for the rights of all individuals, including those in the LGBTQ+ community, across the African continent.

Contravening intercontinental conventions

As a member of the AU, various international human rights treaties and instruments have been signed and approved by Uganda, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the African Charter on Human and People's Rights. These instruments promote equality, non-discrimination, and the protection of human rights for all individuals. The passing of such legislation contradicts the country's commitments to these international agreements.

LGBTQ+ intolerance is widespread in several other African nations. For instance, 32 of the 54 African nations forbid same-sex relationships. In fact, the death sentence is still applied to homosexuality in some nations. This includes Mauritania, Somalia, and a few Nigerian states that adhere to Sharia law. Homosexuality is a crime in Kenya, where the maximum sentence for incarceration is 14 years. It carries a minimum sentence of 13 years and a maximum of life imprisonment in Tanzania as well. Although there are anti-gay attitudes in many African nations, Uganda has gone too far by drafting legislation that is so reprehensible that it grossly violates human rights.

Providing an academic magnifying glass

On 24 May 2023, the University of the Free State (UFS) chapter of the Federation of African Law Students (FALAS), in collaboration with the Gender Equality and Anti-Discrimination Office, hosted a panel discussion on the Bloemfontein Campus, based on the Uganda Anti-Homosexuality Bill.

Leading the panel discussion were UFS experts such as Prof John Mubangizi, who is the former Dean of the Faculty of Law and current Research Professor in the Free State Centre for Human Rights; Prof Mikateko Mathebula, Associate Professor in the Centre for Development Support; Khanya Motshabi, Senior Lecturer in Advanced Human Rights; as well as Akhona Komeni, Peer Mentor Supervisor at Free State Rainbow Seeds.

Factors contributing to anti-gay sentiments

Prof Mubangizi presented a summary of an article he recently submitted for publication in a scientific journal, titled: Uganda’s unrelenting opprobrious legislative efforts to criminalise same-sex relations: implications on human rights.

By way of introduction, Prof Mubangizi highlighted a few possible reasons for anti-gay sentiments in Uganda. “Firstly, many Ugandans are deeply religious and hold traditional beliefs that view homosexuality as immoral, unnatural, and contrary to the will of God – these beliefs are enforced by conservative interpretations of religious texts that condemn homosexuality. The second reason is political opportunism – some politicians in Uganda are using anti-gay sentiments to rally support and divert attention from other issues. Thirdly, there is a general lack of information about what homosexuality is.”

Human rights implications

FALAS Chairperson, Ntsako Khoza, said the organisation believes that the bill is a gross violation of human rights. “The student group opposes this legislation and is adamant that it unfairly discriminates against the LGBTQ+ population and is therefore backwards for society. Promoting good governance, respect for human rights, peace, and justice in Africa is the objective of our organisation,” he said.

It is important to note that the condemnation expressed by FALAS and the international community at large is based on the recognition that laws criminalising same-sex relationships are a violation of human rights and contribute to discrimination and persecution. Upholding human rights, promoting good governance, and fostering respect for all individuals, regardless of sexual orientation, is crucial for building inclusive and just societies.

News Archive

Central SRC constitution for UFS approved by Council

2005-07-20

University of the Free State Fact Sheet

1. The Council of the University of the Free State (UFS) on 10 June 2005 unanimously approved the establishment of a Central Student Representative Council (CSRC) to constitute a legitimate basis for the democratic participation of students of all three of its campuses in the governance of the university.

2. In a major breakthrough and transformation step for student governance, the Central SRC will include representatives of the main campus in Bloemfontein, the Vista Bloemfontein campus and the Qwaqwa campus of the UFS.

3. The need to establish the Central SRC follows the incorporation of the Qwaqwa campus into the UFS in January 2003 and the incorporation of the Vista campus in Bloemfontein into the UFS in January 2004.

4. The constitution of the Central SRC is the outcome of a consensus reached during a lengthy process of negotiation between the SRCs of the three UFS campuses, indirectly involving diverse student formations such as Sasco, ANCYL, YCL, Pasma, SASO, SADESMO, AZASCO, SCO, HEREXVII, KovsieAlliance, ACDP, etc. Independent constitutional and political experts facilitated key parts of the negotiation process.

5. In this process, the UFS management went out of its way to ensure the participation of all student formations, especially Sasco and the ANC Youth League, as well as the duly elected SRC officials of the three campuses.

6. With the establishment of a Central SRC, the UFS has adopted a federal student governance model whereby the CSRC is the highest representative student body on matters of common concern for all students. The three campuses of the UFS will retain SRC structures for each campus with powers and responsibilities for matters affecting the particular campus.

7. The central SRC will have 12 members made up of delegates of the different campus SRCs, including the presidents of these three SRCs. In total, the main campus will have 5 representatives, the Qwaqwa campus will have 4 representatives and the Vista campus will have 3 representatives. This ratio ensures a strong voice for the smaller campuses in the central SRC.

8. This arrangement will be reviewed after a year to make allowance for the phasing out of undergraduate (pipeline) students at the Vista campus, as was agreed in the negotiations preceding the incorporation of that campus into the UFS.

9. From these 12 members a central SRC president will be chosen on a quarterly basis to represent the general student body at Executive Management, Senate and Council.

10. The historic official inauguration of the first Central SRC is scheduled to take place in early August 2005.

11. This event, like the adoption of a broadly negotiated new constitution for the main campus SRC, represents a breakthrough in that all three campus SRCs delegations and all relevant student organizations have been part of the process and have accepted the outcome of the process.

20 July 2005

Back

Economic and Management Sciences

Education

Health Sciences

The Humanities

Law

Natural and Agricultural Sciences

Theology and Religion

Open Distance Learning

Business School

We use cookies to make interactions with our websites and services easy and meaningful. To better understand how they are used, read more about the UFS cookie policy. By continuing to use this site you are giving us your consent to do this.

Accept