Claim
On Monday 23rd May 2022, News Point TV uploaded a statement on their Facebook page indicating that Democratic Party President, Mr. Harry Kalaba, had urged the government to the legalize homosexuality in Zambia. This came in the wake of the Swedish and Finnish Embassies hoisting the Rainbow flag, a symbol of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBTIQ) movement on their premises in Lusaka on Tuesday, 17th May 2022 to mark the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia aimed at coordinating international events that raise awareness of LGBTIQ rights violations and stimulate interest in LGBTIQ rights work worldwide. This act was received with criticism from various stakeholders who described it as a breach of the 1961 Vienna Convention, and a lack of due regard to the laws of Zambia and cultural sensitivity.
Rating Justification
The fact checking process has determined as false, the claim on the News Point TV Facebook page that Democratic Party President, Mr. Harry Kalaba, had urged the government to legalize homosexuality in Zambia. In a statement obtained by iVerify in response to the assertion made on News Point Tv, Mr. Kalaba queried where he had urged the government to legalize homosexuality and called on News Point TV to be ethical and have dependency in their writing. In another statement obtained by iVerify, Mr. Kalaba further reiterated that it was the position of the Party that homosexuality is illegal, and the party will never support homosexuality in Zambia. Therefore, the claim on the News Point TV Facebook page that Democratic Party President, Mr. Harry Kalaba, had urged the government to legalize homosexuality in Zambia, is false.
