Namibia
Disclaimer: This information on the situation of homosexuals all over the world may not be completely accurate or up-to-date. The information is gathered on the Internet and in other publications. If you have any additional information, corrections, comments or suggestions, don't hesitate to contact me at  <never@heterosexual.com> Updated 99-06-29	Information on the situation for homosexuals in Namibia: Legal? Sodomy is reportedly illegal in Namibia, but the law is not enforced. The Constitution also reportedly grants all kinds of civil rights including that no person may be discriminated against on grounds of sexual preference. Namibian Labour Code (Art. 107) explicitly prohibits discrimination in the work place on the grounds of sexual orientation. In 1998, a German lesbian was granted permanent residency by the High Court based in part on  her long-term relationship with a Namibian woman. However... Homosexuality as a social issue - and gay and lesbian rights as a political issue - has recently arisen several times in the region, raising controversy in Zimbabwe, Botswana,  Swaziland and Namibia. Several high government officials, including President Sam Nujoma, have described homosexuals in extremely derogatory terms even saying they should be uprooted from society. This seriously puts questions to the safety of homosexuals in Namibia. The attitude seems to be that homosexuality is "European" and something the white people brought to Africa; something alien to African culture. This is of course very wrong and only shows the narrow minds of the Namibian leaders. Namibia, formerly known as South West Africa, became independent from South Africa on March 21, 1990. South Africa seized the area from Germany during World War I. South Africa's racial segregation laws of Apartheid were introduced to the territory in October 1966. For many years the freedom organization SWAPO (South West Africa People's Organization) fought for Namibia's independence and the end of Apartheid. After independence, SWAPO and its leader Sam Nujoma took power. Democracy was introduced, including several rights such as freedom of speech and freedom of the press. Later the freedom of the press has been limited to prevent journalists "in contempt of Parliament". In November 1998, the Ministry of Home Affairs announced a new law proposal which would make homosexuality a serious crime, even suggesting castration for gay men. The existence of such proposals were later denied by Prime Minister Hage Geingob. The President of Namibia may serve a maximum of two terms of five years, so hopefully Sam Nujoma's legacy will be that of a freedom fighter who led the country to independence, and not that of a self-centred, narrow-minded tyrant with lack of respect for basic human rights. Let us hope Namibia will follow in South Africa's footsteps when it comes to gay rights as human rights; that the former freedom organization now governing the country also will recognize the freedoms and rights of minorities. If you have any further information on the current situation in Namibia, please contact me.    Age of consent Male-Female Male-Male Female-Female Namibia ? ? ? The situation for homosexuals is unclear. Further information on the situation in Namibia can be found at: The Rainbow Project - GLB Namibia QRD Articles -- The Namibian (newspaper) Namibia Ministry of Environment and Tourism Multimedia Travel Guide to Namibia Atevo Travel: Destination Namibia MBendi - Namibia country profile	Statistics: Republic, Africa Area: 824,292 km² Population: 1.6 mill. Capital: Windhoek Currency: rand Independence Day: Mar. 21 ISO 3166 Internet Country Code(s): .na

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