Recognition of same-sex unions in Zimbabwe

Contemporary oral evidence suggests that same-sex relationships were "common" and "prevalent" in Zimbabwe in the early 20th century, with research by Epprecht estimating that between 70% and 80% of men at the mines took on male sexual partners.

Epprecht further wrote that "enabling migrant men to conserve their health and resources against the temptations of [local] women [in towns near the mines], ngochani strengthened their ability to shore up proper, fecund marriages [back home]".

[4] Among the San peoples, marriage (Tshwa: se tcu)[5] is generally between a man in his twenties and a girl in her teens, though polygamy is common.

[7] Although in very close proximity, South Africa and Zimbabwe have contrasting political histories in their post-colonial states with regard to LGBT rights.

Gays and lesbians experience severe societal and legal discrimination in Zimbabwe, often fleeing to South Africa "to enjoy greater freedom".

Civil partnerships, legalised with the passage of this new law in 2022, are explicitly defined as being between "a man and a woman" who are both over the age of eighteen years, and have lived together on a genuine domestic basis without legally being married.

In respect of the law of the land, our culture and for moral reasons we instruct pastors to desist from actions that may be deemed as the blessing of same-sex unions bringing confusion and even scandal to our people.