Austin Mzukwa recounts alleged Zanzibar airport incident
Mzukwa shares airport experience
South African content creator Austin Mzukwa has sparked online discussion after claiming he and a male friend were stopped at Zanzibar’s Abeid Amani Karume International Airport and prevented from entering the country after officials allegedly assumed they were a couple. Mzukwa shared the account in a video from the airport as the pair prepared to return to South Africa.
Mzukwa says officials assumed they were partners
According to Mzukwa, officials told him and his friend that they could not enter Zanzibar because they believed the two men were romantically involved. Mzukwa said both he and his friend are gay men. However, there has been no public confirmation from Tanzanian authorities that their entry was refused specifically because of their sexual orientation.
No official explanation confirmed
The circumstances surrounding the reported incident remain unclear. Reports have described the pair as being denied entry or sent back to South Africa, but it has not been independently established whether they were formally deported, refused entry for immigration reasons or required to return for another reason. Tanzanian authorities have not publicly commented on Mzukwa’s account.
Tanzania’s laws on same-sex activity
The incident has drawn attention to Tanzania’s laws concerning same-sex sexual activity. On mainland Tanzania, Section 154 of the Penal Code criminalises certain same-sex sexual activity and provides for life imprisonment, with a minimum sentence of 30 years in relevant circumstances. Section 157 also criminalises certain acts of gross indecency between men.
Zanzibar has separate legislation
Zanzibar, which has a semi-autonomous legal system, has its own penal legislation. Section 150 of the Zanzibar Penal Code criminalises so-called “unnatural offences” and carries a maximum sentence of 14 years. The territory also criminalises certain acts of gross indecency and lesbianism under separate provisions.
Laws have been enforced
Human Dignity Trust reports that Tanzania continues to criminalise consensual same-sex sexual activity and that LGBT people have faced arrests, detention, discrimination and other forms of persecution. The organisation has also documented previous arrests in Zanzibar involving allegations of homosexuality.
Concerns for LGBTQ+ travellers
The reported experience has renewed discussion about the risks LGBTQ+ travellers may face when visiting Tanzania and Zanzibar. Human Rights Watch has previously documented arrests and other abuses affecting LGBT people in Tanzania, while current legal assessments continue to list same-sex relations as criminalised in both mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar.
Mzukwa’s luxury lifestyle also draws attention
The Zanzibar controversy comes as Mzukwa has been attracting attention for his lavish lifestyle. The content creator recently celebrated the purchase of a Mercedes-Benz A250, with reports that an elaborate floral display used for the vehicle reveal cost about R50,000.
Questions about his wealth
The luxury purchase prompted social media users to debate Mzukwa’s source of income and how he finances the lifestyle displayed online. He has built an audience through beauty, fashion and lifestyle content and has also been associated with hair and wig-related business activities and brand collaborations.
Debate continues online
Mzukwa’s recent attention has therefore centred on several separate issues, including his luxury lifestyle, questions about his finances and his reported experience in Zanzibar. His account has also brought renewed attention to the legal environment faced by LGBTQ+ people travelling to Tanzania and its semi-autonomous islands.
