Gay nuptials: Let’s disagree respectfully, Presidency urges

President Hage Geingob is tolerant to the various views on same-sex marriages, but hate speech will not be tolerated, his spin-doctor Dr Alfredo Hengari cautioned.Hengari said this during an interview with Namibian Sun on the controversial topic which has hogged public discourse following a Supreme Court ruling last week, which paved the way for same-sex marriages solemnised outside Namibia to be recognised here.“President Geingob promotes a culture of tolerance and respectful disagreement,” he said.Hengari added that his presence in an anti-gay marriage WhatsApp group does not signify an endorsement of the group&#039;s agenda, and certainly does not reflect the views of President Hage Geingob.The group was created shortly after the Supreme Court ruling, which ordered the home affairs ministry to register these same-sex unions.Home affairs minister Albert Kawana - who is also member of the WhatsApp group - has not been reachable to answer questions relating to his continued presence there.Meanwhile, Hengari said he was not a member by his own volition, but could not explain why he has failed to leave the group that was created last Thursday.He stressed that being part of any online community does not equate to endorsing its objectives or subscribing to its ideology.“I am the spokesperson of the president and my position is very clear – the president tolerates inclusivity and strongly believes in the separation of powers.‘Are you policing me?’Hengari further claimed not to have seen hate speech and explicit pornography shared on the group as well as aspersions cast on Geingob’s capacity to rule Namibia.“Are you policing me now? There are many groups that I am on. I am on Facebook and I am on Twitter and often I am added to groups where I become the topic of discussion and insults, but it does not mean I endorse those sentiments.“I was added to this group and I don’t see those things and I don’t even read that content,” he said.‘Backwards never’Deputy speaker of the National Assembly Loide Kasingo, who is currently in South Africa on official duty, has pledged her support to a petition that calls on parliament to invoke an anti-gay law that would reverse the Supreme Court ruling.On Saturday, she sent a message on the group, saying: “Dear members of the group, I am out of the country. I agree with the envisaged petition and actions to be taken by this group to save our country and its citizens from these evil actions. Forward ever, backwards never”.She, however, declined to comment when Namibian Sun approached her yesterday, adding that she is yet to familiarise herself with the situation in Namibia.“I am in South Africa now. I am now deep in a workshop. Wait for me. Wait until I come back to familiarise myself, then we can have a deep conversation,” she said.jemima@namibiansun.com

Gay nuptials: Let’s disagree respectfully, Presidency urges

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Namibian Sun 2025-03-20

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Gay nuptials: Let’s disagree respectfully, Presidency urges

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Namibian Sun 2025-03-20

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