A CCM politician and member of the Parliament for Nzega threatened suspected homosexuals to publish a list of their names recently. The action was condemned and homosexuals were defended by the deputy health minister in Twitter.

"I will publish a list of gay people selling their bodies online, "Hamisi Kigwangalla, 42, doctor and member of the Parliament for Nzega, posted these threats on Twitter. BBC reported that the deputy health minister defended the homosexuals in their argument posted on Twitter.

Dr. Kigwangalla was accused of being homophobic and infringing on the right to freedom of expression online. He argued fiercely against the critics and further threatened that advertisements of homosexual activities would also be targeted.

In his argument, Kigwangalla said that homosexuality did not scientifically exist and was a social construct. He claimed that it is usually associated with an urban lifestyle. He said also that in the small town where he came from there were no homosexuals.

Comparing humans to animals, he argued that homosexuality is not biological and therefore unnatural. "There is no literature to suggest that homosexuality is partly a result of biogenetics. It has no scientific backing," he said in his response on the Twitter.

Acts of homosexuality in Tanzania are illegal and carry a punishment if proven of up to 30 years imprisonment. Advertisement of homosexual materials online is also prohibited.

Earlier this month, Dr. Kigwangalla accused three men of being homosexuals and spreading their prohibited acts through social media. He reported them to authorities yet no report was noted if they were charged formally.

The health ministry's last week suspension of 40 drop-in HIV/AIDS clinics activity accusing non-governmental organizations of using them for promoting gay sex has been the reason for Dr. Kigwangalla's comments on Twitter. His strong criticism of homosexuality is similar to how Tanzanian people viewed about it. Most Tanzanians are strongly opposed to homosexuality, BBC's Sammy Awami in Dar es Salaam says.

Homosexuality, along with illegal drugs use and poor education are the three major challenges the country is facing. This was the subject of the parliamentary debate about AIDS earlier this month.

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