Zimbabwean police have arrested two employees of the country’s only gay and lesbian group, the Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe (GALZ) in a raid on the group's HQ.

They were arrested following the issuing of a search warrant by Chief Superintendent Peter Magwenzi for "dangerous drugs and pornographic material". Magwenzi has been involved in disappearances and extended illegal detentions of opposition MDC activists and of journalists.

Magwenzi has been implicated in torture by civil society activists. Terry Musona, an MDC activist abducted and held for four months last year who says she was tortured by him, said of her detention:

“Most of the days we were forced to sleep on a cold floor, hungry and blind folded.”

“We were tortured, denied food and medical attention during our entire period of illegal detention.”

Already police have refused to allow access by lawyers to the two GALZ employees Ellen Chademana and Ignatius Muhambi. They took all the GALZ computers and other materials from the office.

In addition to general concerns about the fate of the two, Chademana is diabetic and there are concerns for her heath.

GALZ fears that other arrests will follow:

"We understand that it is currently unsafe for GALZ employees and volunteers who are outside of Zimbabwe at various meetings, including an OSISA meeting in Johannesburg, to return to Zimbabwe as there is a concern that they will be arrested at the airport."

They say that the raid is part of growing pressure in Zimbabwe against LGBT rights:

"About a month ago, two foreign student interns were stopped at the airport trying to leave Zimbabwe and interrogated and detained.  All of the GALZ material they had in their possession was confiscated."

There has been debate on LGBT rights as part of discussion about the new constitution. The opposition MDC has failed to clarify whether it support basic protections, with Prime Minister Tsvangari quoted as opposing them at an event with President Mugabe last month.

In January the police in neighboring Malawi raided the office of human rights group Cedep, which works for gays in that country.

In 2005 late Director of GALZ Keith Goddard was arrested for the fifth time and charged with sodomy.

GALZ programmes manager for gender Fadzai Muparutsa told SW Radio Africa last month that there have been other arrests using the country's sodomy law but police harassment and corruption is a far more common problem for Zimbabwe LGBT.

Zimbabwe's Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has joined President Robert Mugabe in dismissing calls to enshrine gay rights in the new constitution.

"I totally agree with the president," he said, state media report.

Homosexual acts are currently illegal in Zimbabwe. Mr Mugabe once said gays were "worse than pigs and dogs", sparking international condemnation.

Gay rights have become a controversial issue in several African countries in recent months.

Mr Tsvangirai joined his long-time rival Mr Mugabe in a power-sharing government a year ago but relations between the two men remain tense.

'Very worrying'

President Mugabe told a belated celebration of International Women's Day that he had recently learned of moves to introduce gay rights in the new constitution currently being discussed.

"That issue is not debatable, it's not up for discussion," he said, according to the state-owned Herald newspaper.

"It is just madness, insanity. The ancestors will turn in their graves should we allow this to happen."

And Mr Tsvangirai said he agreed.

"Women make up 52% of the population... There are more women than men, so why should men be proposing to men?"

Chesterfield Samba, director of the Gays And Lesbians of Zimbabwe (Galz), told the BBC News website he was seeking clarification of the comments.

But he said, if confirmed, they would be "very worrying".

He also confirmed that Galz would be making a submission to the constitutional review commission.

Although homosexual acts are illegal in Zimbabwe, Galz has an office in Harare and Mr Samba said the police generally left them alone.

Supporters of Mr Tsvangirai hope the new constitution will pave the way for free elections, possibly as soon as 2011.

In Uganda, an MP has introduced a draft bill which makes homosexual acts punishable by life in prison and death in some circumstances.

In Malawi, a gay couple has spent three months in jail after holding a party to celebrate their engagement.

And in Kenya, police intervened after rumours that a couple were planning a gay wedding.

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