The Sunday News
Munyaradzi Musiiwa, Features Reporter
MR John Mashiri (not real name) shudders each time he recalls the dark moments of his life while in prison doing time for drug trafficking.
On almost a daily basis he had to contend with never-ending food fights amid sexual advances from fellow male inmates.
“When I was convicted in 2016 after being found in possession of drugs I was sent to a local prison. As you may know, the food is not enough in prisons and in most cases inmates who work in the kitchen usually demand sex if you want more food,” says Mr Mashiri.
He says cases of homosexuality in prison are rampant. Among his worst experience while incarcerated was witnessing a young inmate die after contracting a sexual transmitted illness.
“There was this young man in his early 20s who was a new convict. He was always complaining of hunger after every meal. The inmate died after he developed an STI in the abdomen and rectum. The doctors attended to him but unfortunately they could not save him. They said they could not treat an STI in the abdomen and he died,” says Mr Mashiri.
It is, however, an acknowledged fact that in Zimbabwe homosexuality is taboo and is regarded as extremely exotic and morally unacceptable. The country’s constitution forbids the matrimony of people of the same sex, hence gays and lesbians conceal their sexual preferences cognisant of the consequences. President Mugabe has on many occasions often shown his contempt for gays and lesbians, describing them as “worse than pigs and dogs”.
Legislators, health experts and international health organisations want Government to consider distributing condoms among prison inmates which has become a key population in the fight against HIV. Some sections of society and certain churches are uncomfortable with the idea of distributing condoms to prison inmates as they view the move as an advertent encouragement and acknowledgement of homosexuality.
“As abominable as the practice might be, it is existent and rampant among prison inmates, hence they have become a key population in the fight against HIV. The negligence of such issues could be a ticking time bomb. This is the time to look at the pros and cons of distributing condoms among inmates amid the surging HIV incidences and prevalence among inmates,” said Mr Mashiri who is now an HIV activist.
The Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services says HIV prevalence among inmates now stands at 27 percent and believe same sex intercourse could be spiking the infections. Director of Aids and TB in the Ministry of Health and Child Care, Dr Owen Mugurungi, said the Government in partnership with Global Fund had started procuring special condoms with extra lubrication for homosexuals after they were identified as a key population in the fight against HIV and the 90-90-90 objective.
Dr Mugurungi said homosexuals particularly men were a key population and there was a need to procure condoms for them to reduce the rate of HIV incidences in an endeavour to achieve the 90-90-90 goals. The UNAIDS 90-90-90 target calls on countries to reach the goals of 90 percent of people living with HIV diagnosed by 2020, 90 percent of diagnosed people on antiretroviral treatment by 2020, 90 percent of people in treatment with fully suppressed viral load by 2020. Dr Mugurungi said it had been discovered that when homosexuals indulge in sex using normal condoms, 90 percent of them burst.
“Under Global Fund, we have started purchasing condoms that have an extra lubrication for gay people. What we have realised is that they are a key population in HIV and Aids. This population cannot use the normal condoms used by heterosexuals because 90 percent of the condoms burst during sex when used by gays because they do not have enough lubrication. We are yet to start purchasing dental (oral) dams condoms used for oral sex for lesbians because these people are very difficult to identify,” he said.
Dr Mugurungi said the Government would also start procuring dental dams condoms used in oral sex often used by lesbians. Health and Child Care minister, Dr David Parirenyatwa, is on record calling for more action after it emerged that the HIV prevalence in the country’s prisons was higher than the national prevalence.
Experts in the health sector and HIV fighting programmes say the fight to reduce the national prevalent rate needed a multi-sectoral approach. All our efforts will be in vain if we continue neglecting prisoners as a key population in the fight against HIV.
The issue of condoms in prisons is not unheard of but something that most countries, including Lesotho, have implemented and has significantly reduced HIV incidences and the spread of the pandemic.
There is need for law makers to treat this issue as a matter of urgency if we are to accomplish the mission of ending Aids by 2030 where the pandemic ceases to be public health threat and become manageable and under control.
According to United Nations Aids Programme (UNAIDS), Zimbabwe has one of the world’s highest HIV prevalence rates at 14 percent, with some 1,2 million locals living with HIV. At one time it was suggested that granting conjugal rights to prisoners could help ease the situation. However, not all prisoners have spouses and this might end up stimulating the desire to indulge in sex which can increase the rate of same sex intercourse.
Thematic committee on HIV and Aids chairperson, Senator Lilian Timvious, recently said statistics showed that there was unprotected sex taking place in prisons.
“Studies have shown that some inmates go there negative, but acquire HIV somewhere in the process,” she said. “How they acquire it when they have no conjugal rights is the key issue for us as legislators. We cannot continue denying them access to prevention options when evidence shows that there is some sexual activity taking place among them.”
Senator Timvious said together with other committee members, they were going to make the call for condom distribution in prisons louder until the policy was implemented.
Southern Africa HIV and Aids Information Dissemination Service (SafAids) training and advocacy coordinator, Mr Adolf Maveneke, said it was time the country made those tough decisions to effectively curb HIV infection.
Mr Maveneke said statistics on HIV prevalence in prison settings could not go unchallenged.
“The country must make those tough decisions. These are the decisions which will assist in achieving our national targets to end HIV by 2030,” he said.
Nonetheless, Zimbabwe Prison Service is on record saying it will never provide condoms to inmates despite acknowledging the existence of homosexuality and HIV and Aids among prisoners. Appearing before the Parliamentary Thematic Committee on Human Rights sometime in 2011, ZPS Deputy Commissioner Agrey Huggins Machingauta said providing condoms in cells for purposes of homosexuality was tantamount to legalising a crime. He said prisons will only provide condoms in cells should Zimbabwe legalise homosexuality.
“Yes, yes. Let me say a big yes, we know that this activity (homosexuality) takes place in our prisons because we receive reports. I have been an officer-in charge in a number of prisons and we used to receive reports whenever the parties are not in agreement and even when they are in agreement, but there is a witness to the act that these two were committing Sodom we take corrective measures.
“In terms of the Prisons Act, it is an offence and we actually have legal powers to try and punish. There are hardcore criminals who would indulge in anything but once a report is made, we take corrective action. On the issue of condoms, we cannot issue them out to inmates until this House (Parliament) passes legislation to legalise homosexuality in Zimbabwe,” he said.
