ZRP Uncovers 1,000-Member Gay Network

ANOTHER AFRICAN COUNTRY OPPOSED TO HUMAN RIGHTS FOR LGBTQ+

The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has uncovered a 1,000-member gay syndicate in Harare operating through a WhatsApp group called “Private Lounge” to facilitate the illegal relationships, reported The Herald.

Paul Nyathi

The investigation followed the arrest of a 25-year-old man and a teenager in Highfield engaged in a gay relationship.

The man lives in New Canaan, and works at a local supermarket, while the teenager is a Form Four student from Glen Norah B Extension.

The teenager joined the WhatsApp group in January 2024, introduced himself, and sought a partner.

After connecting with the man, they agreed to meet at Machipisa Shopping Centre, and the teenager later visited the man’s home.

The teenager’s father found love messages from the man on his son’s phone and blocked the contact.

On October 7, 2024, the man attempted to contact the teenager via his mother’s phone, prompting the father to report the matter to the police.

The man was taken into police custody, while the boy was released to his parents as investigations continue.

ZRP national spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the arrests. He said:

We confirm that we have picked up two suspects who have assisted us in unearthing a gay and homosexual WhatsApp group with more than 1,000 participants who have been meeting at various places and houses in Harare. Investigations are still in progress.

In Zimbabwe, gay relationships are illegal. In February 2024, the government warned organisations that were enticing youths into homosexuality through educational scholarships, labelling these LGBT scholarships as unlawful and unChristian.

The Office of the President and Cabinet recently criticised foreign interests for trying to attract Zimbabwean students to what it described as “alien, anti-life, unAfrican, and unChristian values.”

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