- Stephen Monjeza, left, and Tiwonge Chimbalanga after their arrest.
We’ve reported several times on the gay couple in Malawi who were arrested, tried and sentenced to 14 years of hard labor for falling in love and announcing their engagement.
Malawi President Bingu wa Mutharika pardoned Steven Monjeza and Tiwonge “Aunt Tiwo” Chimbalanga on “humanitarian grounds” (read: political pressure from just about everybody everywhere).
Now, barely 10 days after being pardoned, Monjeza has reportedly dumped Chimbalanga for a woman named Dorothy Gulo, according to Daily Nation, and is claiming he was coerced into becoming engaged to Chimbalanga, that he was drunk on the day of their “engagement party,” and that he no longer wants to be associated with that “gay trash.”
He also claims someone offered to help him leave Malawi in return for becoming engaged to Chimbalanga, but he “could not mention” the names of the people who made the offer.
Manjeza says he has turned down offers of asylum outside the country because he wants to stay with Gulo, and Gulo says she loves Manjeza but is worried what Chimbalanga might do.
And what does Chimbalanga have to say? Well, basically, it sounds like he’s saying good riddance: “Mr. Chimbalanga, from a secret location, said he was not disappointed, saying there were many gays in Malawi and outside who would marry him.”
