A leading Zambian pastor has saluted Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe for standing firm against ‘ungodly’ homosexuality.

Dr Bernard Nwaka, the founder of Living Waters Global Churches in Africa, UK and the United States of America, was speaking at the annual Action Conference for Celebration Ministries International.

His sermon was entitled ‘Overcoming Demonic Alters’ [sic].

Nwaka claimed the Zambian Constitution recognized they were a Christian nation so the church could successfully challenge at the courts anyone who tried to endorse ‘ungodly practices’.

He added: ‘Should any funny person in future come up and say we want same-sex marriage we are able to stand in the courts of law and say Zambia is a Christian nation because our constitution says.’

He went on to liken being gay to abortion, prostitution and pornography.

And he said: ‘One of the things we are so much grateful and we admire your president Dr Mugabe is when he stood up to same-sex marriage. Let’s give a clap offering to God.’

Nwaka referred to the US, UK and others who have said they will channel aid via other organizations rather than give it to oppressive governments who persecute LGBT people.

He said: ‘Our current government in Zambia just made a strong statement and said in Zambia we will never allow homosexuality. Never.

‘If they want their aid they can withhold it. We are not so poor, so desperate such that we can be bought. Zimbabwe shall not be bought, Zambia shall not be bought. Africa is not for sale.’

During Zimbabwe’s annual independence celebrations in 1995 Mugabe proclaimed that homosexuality ‘degrades human dignity’ is ‘unnatural’ and that gay people are ‘worse than dogs and pigs’.

He commented: ‘What we are being persuaded to accept is sub-animal behavior and we will never allow it here. If you see people parading themselves as lesbians and gays, arrest them and hand them over to the police!’

Since then, President Mugabe has increased the political repression of Zimbabwe’s LGBT community.

Earlier this month Zambia police arrested a gay couple forcing them to undergo an anal probe test, and denying them legal representation, on the charges of having sex ‘against the order of nature’.

On 23 May Philip Mubiana and Kapiri Mposhi were again denied bail on the basis that they may commit the same crime if it was granted. An online petition for their release has attracted over 35,000 signatures.

In April tribal chiefs in Zambia called for a crackdown on gays in the Southern African nation after four gay couples allegedly sought to have their marriages recognized by a state registrar – calling for them to ‘be caged’.

Same-sex acts are classified in Zambian law as a felony punishable by imprisonment for 14 years.

Despite his human rights abuses for which Mugabe is under a European Union travel ban, he still has the support of Christian groups.

He enjoyed prime seats for the inauguration of Pope Francis in March. The Vatican dodged the issue rather than responding to public interest questions from the press about it.

You can watch Nwaka’s sermon here:

Overcoming Demonic Alters from Celebrate International on Vimeo.