The Deputy Speaker of the Botswana National Assembly, Mr. Pono Moatlhodi, shocked many people at a recent meeting organised by the Botswana Network on Ethics Law and AIDS (BONELA) and the Parliament AIDS Committee who were trying to find ways of making condoms available in prisons.

The BONELA team argued that homosexuality in prisons was a fact that and AIDS was rife in prisons therefore inmates should be provided with condoms.

However, MP Pono Moatlhodi, said no way would he support the idea; if he had power, he would have those who practice homosexuality killed.

“On this point I would agree with Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe who once described that behaviour as that of western dogs; I don’t like those gay people and will never tolerate them. They are demonic and evil,” he said.

“When there are so many women in this country, why would anyone choose to have sex with another man? The Bible does not agree with such a thing and therefore it is evil; if we give prisoners condoms, are we are now saying they are free?”

BONELA had invited an inmate to the meeting to give testimony. The man (name with- held) said "men messing around with other men" was a lifestyle for most people in prison.

“We are gay men and women and we are not just fooling around. You have to understand that while in prison some men do have sexual relationships with others, and these are not necessarily gay or bisexual men; these are guys who need some type of sexual relief and if it is with another man, so be it. I have seen happily married men have gay relationships,” he said.

The inmate said it was high time gays were accepted in the society in order to halt the spread of HIV.

Gay rights activist Lorraine Setuke calls Motloadi's comments "barbaric."

Motloadi's views are not uncommon in Africa. Botswana is among dozens of African countries with anti-gay laws, though prosecutions are rare.