Is Yoweri Museveni Africa’s Hitler?

When it comes to governance, Africa is never short of progressive policies. Key among them has been the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), adopted by African heads of state and government in South Africa in July 2002 and hailed as the continent’s centre of excellence.

The APRM, a mutually-agreed mechanism voluntarily acceded to by African Union (AU) member states, is an instrument meant effect self-monitoring – described as “Africa’s unique and innovative approach to governance”.

At APRM’s core is peer learning and self-assessment – an inspiring concept to emerge out of Africa and a shining light to the world, that we don’t necessarily need foreign intervention to resolve our own issues and challenges.

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But as disturbing events have been unfolding in Uganda – an AU member and APRM signatory – there has been a realisation that not all is well in Africa, if the passage into law of the anti-homosexuality Bill is anything to go by.

This, without the AU or any African leader raising discomfort about a law flying in the face of the APRM, a body with a vision to achieve “the full actualisation of transformative leadership and practice for Africa we all want”.

Is it an Africa we all want when Uganda has vowed to implement a programme of a reign of terror under the guise of an ill-conceived law, which can only lead to the persecution of the LGBTQIA+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex, asexual and others) community? This, amid much conspicuous silence from no less a leader of society than the ANC.

While I am not always in support of what the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) espouses, the party and its leader, Julius Malema, should be commended for taking a stand against the attack on the LGBTQIA+ community in Uganda.

ALSO READ: Uganda’s anti-LGBTQ+ law sparks outrage

Instead of looking at narrow, party-political confines, all SA political, labour and other organs of society should have joined the EFF march this week to the Ugandan High Commission to express outrage at gross violation of human rights perpetuated by Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, who was recently feted by President Cyril Ramaphosa, during his state visit to SA.

Malema put it so well for all to hear: “What scientific method are you going to use that she is lesbian? All you’re going to do, is to look at a person and out of hatred, decide that this one is gay and this one is lesbian. It cannot be correct that you identify people on the basis of hatred and that you kill them. Leave the people the way they are. It is not our problem. It is not your problem. It is not a problem.

“What if Yoweri Museveni was gay? Some people discover their sexuality at a much later stage. In his family, there are people who belong to the gay community. Those will not be killed because they are his family, but those who are not his family, those who don’t have political connections, those who are not from well-known families and business families, they are going to be killed, because they are gay, poor and cannot afford the political connections.”

ALSO READ: Uganda says will not renew mandate for UN rights office

Ugandans have seen so much merciless killings in the past under another despot – Idi Amin, who could order a firing squad to kill people with impunity.

The world has over years seen worse dictators – among them German leader Adolph Hitler, who sent million of Jews to concentration camps – all due to intolerance for others. Is Museveni our African Hitler?