#LGBT: Somewhere in Africa, a hit squad is created to haunt down gay people

Tanzania has created a squad dedicated to hunting down gay people so they can be arrested and jailed.

Paul Makonda, the regional commissioner for Dar es Salaam, said the surveillance team would be using social media to hunt down same-sex couples in his district. He also encouraged people to hand over names of anyone they suspected of being gay so authorities could investigate. Homosexuality is still a crime in deeply religious Tanzania and homophobic rhetoric has been on the rise since President John Magufuli was elected in 2015.

Makonda, who is a close ally of Magufuli, said: 'I have received reports that there are so many homosexuals in our city, and these homosexuals, are advertising and selling their services on the internet. The squad will also take action on pornography, with Makonda telling people to delete naked images from their phones. Tanzania has strict laws against homosexuality, with gay people facing up to 30 years in jail if they are caught.

Deputy health minister Hamisi Kigwangalla has previously said that being gay is 'unnatural', 'ungodly' and a mental illness.