Malawi Couple Imprisoned After Engagement

International News, By Christian Taylor, 4th January, 2010

An openly gay couple who recently became the first to become engaged in Malawi have been arrested, imprisoned and are now facing a possible 14 year prison sentence.

The Times report that Tiwonge Chimbalanga and Steven Monjeza have been charged with unnatural practices between males and gross indecency. The pair intend to go to court to plead their innocence to the charges.

In a recent interview with The Times, 20 year old Chimbalanga, who dresses as a woman, proclaimed his love for Monjeza, saying, “I love my husband and laws should not prohibit love.”

However, 22 year old Monjeza says that he was “drunk” when they met, and is thinking of ending the engagement. “I love the way he talked, the way he loved me,” he said. “Well, I was drunk. I guess I wanted to be famous but I am now regretting. Prison life is no good. I realised we have broken the laws. I am calling this off. I am not crazy. I have another woman I intended to marry but I loved Tiwonge. I guess I should apologise to that other woman.”

Two weeks ago the couple were engaged publicly in front of 500 witnesses. Two days later they were arrested and are being held in Chichiri prison in Blantyre.

Chimbalanga insists that no laws have been broken, saying, “I am a woman, I can do what a woman can do. I love Steven for what he is, he doesn’t give me money. In fact, I do everything for him, but love is love.”

Chimbalanga does not want to accept that the relationship is over. “I still love him though. Love is between two people, the third one is a spoiler. The police is the spoiler here.”

Reuters report that a Malawi court has denied bail to the men.

According to reports from The Guardian, the state prosecutor has argued that the men have been living together as a couple since August, and has applied to have them sent to a hospital for tests which will prove whether they have had sex together.

According to the couple’s lawyer, Noel Supedi, they have not consummated their relationship.

“Up to the time of their arrests, there is no evidence they have had sexual intercourse,” Supedi told reporters.

“It’s difficult to say what the couple think about it, but my own assessment is they should not undergo a medical examination because it would be a humiliating invasion of their privacy.

“It would only be serving the interests of the state. It would infringe their rights.”

Cary Alan Johnson, the executive director of the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, said: “Malawians have fought long and hard for a working democracy… We hope that the police and the courts will recognise that these men have committed no crime and deserve neither to be detained nor to be the subject of ridicule by the media.”

Image: New York Times – prisoners asleep in prison in Blantyre, Malawi.