Let the homosexuals themselves phone me, then I can give them the answer

Jerry Ekandjo

A spokeswoman for an organisation promoting gay and lesbian rights in Namibia called on the government publicly to reject the remarks.

Namibia's President Sam Nujoma has previously criticised gays and lesbians calling them "unnatural", thereby taking a similar stance to his close ally, Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe.

Unrepentant

Speaking to the BBC's Focus on Africa, Mr Ekandjo refused to confirm or deny the remarks, but asked the journalist if he was a homosexual.

I think that we have to do a lot of human rights education for our politicians

Elizabeth Kahas

"Have the homosexuals there sent you?" he asked, and added he would only discuss the matter with homosexuals.

"Let the homosexuals themselves phone me, then I can give them the answer." Mr Ekandjo said, "in Namibia they are happy about my statement".

Dispute

A representative of the Rainbow Project, an organisation that promotes gay and lesbian rights, Elizabeth Kahas, condemned Mr Ekandjo's statement.

Mr Ekandjo claims there are no black Namibian homosexuals

"I think it is a very outrageous statement to make from a minister who is supposed to protect all the people of Namibia regardless of their sexual orientation," she said.

She also disputed Mr Ekandjo's claim that the constitution did not guarantee rights to homosexuals.

"I think that we have to do a lot of human rights education for our politicians in that this particular minister is not knowledgeable about the constitution of this country," she said.

Constitution

She added that the constitution guaranteed the rights of all Namibians, regardless of sexual orientation.

This is not the first time Mr Ekandjo has been in the news for his views.

In August he said he would withdraw the work permits of foreign judges who made judgements that were perceived as against government policy.

He was later forced to retract his remarks and issue an apology.