Road smoother for gay rights movement

Members of LEGABIBO posing for a group photo after their court victory
Members of LEGABIBO posing for a group photo after their court victory

The Court of Appeal (CoA) upholding a previous court ruling on Wednesday, will go down in history as a momentous day for human rights in Botswana. Endorsing the rights of the association for gays and lesbians can only mean so much for the country’s minority group. Staff Writer MPHO MOKWAPE takes a look at what the achievement means to them and the public at large.

With the order for government to recognise Lesbians, Gays, and Bisexuals of Botswana (LEGABIBO), who have long been lobbying for the decriminalisation of homosexuality, the journey now becomes less bumpy.  Even more so for LEGABIBO’s counterpart, Botswana Networks on Ethics, Law and HIV/AIDS (BONELA).

In a stern judgment, CoA Judge President, Ian Kirby said while strong dissenting views are still expressed by religious and other groups, many people, especially prominent ones like politicians have begun to speak out in support of gay and lesbian rights.

Editor's Comment
Inspect the voters' roll!

The recent disclosure by the IEC that 2,513 registrations have been turned down due to various irregularities should prompt all Batswana to meticulously review the voters' rolls and address concerns about rejected registrations.The disparities flagged by the IEC are troubling and emphasise the significance of rigorous voter registration processes.Out of the rejected registrations, 29 individuals were disqualified due to non-existent Omang...

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