HARARE – Openly-gay South African TV star Somizi Mhlongo has been barred from travelling to Zimbabwe after the ruling Zanu PF party and a group of churches claimed his invitation to a restaurant opening would corrupt Zimbabweans’ morals.

The former Idols judge and dancer turned celebrity chef had been invited to the official reopening of Garwe Restaurant in Harare on November 4 as a guest chef.

But the 48-year-old did not travel after Zanu PF confronted the restaurant’s owner, Mandi Mvukwe-Chimhini, and forced her to uninvite him.

The Apostolic Christian Council of Zimbabwe (ACCOZ) had also written to President Emmerson Mnangagwa, claiming that if Mhlongo was allowed into Zimbabwe, “spiritually we would have been disturbed a lot, and physically we would have accepted homosexuality in Zimbabwe hence affecting our children.”

Zanu PF youth league acting secretary general Tendai Chirau told ZimLive on Wednesday: “I’ve engaged the owner of the outlet Ms Mandi expressing concerns by different societal groups over the invitation of one of the highly controversial guests (Mhlongo), a declared ngito (derogatory term for homosexual).

“I’m glad to announce that the owner took heed of the great concerns and elected to remove the said ngito from the guest list and never to associate themselves with the said character again.”

Zimbabwe considers sex between men an “indecent act” punishable with a prison term and gay marriage is banned under the 2013 constitution. Widely held conservative views mean that gay people face great stigma.

On Monday, the Zanu PF-supporting ACCOZ wrote to Mnangagwa warning him that if Mhlongo was allowed in the country, the matter could become an election issue in 2023.

“This move will also affect our revolutionary party Zanu PF by disturbing the five million votes win needed in the next 2023 harmonised elections for it is publicly known that our party strongly stands against homosexuality,” ACCOZ wrote to Mnangagwa.

Separately, ACCOZ president Obert Mazveru told ZimLive: “Us as the church we were not happy with announcement that Somizi, a well-known homosexual, would grace the official reopening of Garwe Restaurant.

“Zimbabwe is a Christian society, we are neither in agreement nor content with Somizi coming to the country. If he is somehow allowed to attend the event, we are going to demonstrate to register our displeasure over the invitation of a homosexual into our country.”

Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe (GALZ) spokesperson Chesterfield Samba said: “The problem lies with the Immigration Act which is quite archaic for us. We look at it from that angle.

“Section 14 of our immigration law provides for the prohibition of entry into Zimbabwe for a number of individuals including homosexuals. It’s not on the motivation of the purported letter by the apostolics (ACCOZ) but actually it’s a provision within our immigration laws.”

No comment could be immediately obtained from Garwe Restaurant owner Mandi Mvukwe-Chimhini, or Mhlongo.