Same-sex marriage is against culture – Dingwetsi Association
Staff Writer | Wednesday March 11, 2026 09:45
Dingwetsi Association, formed in 2012 and only registered in 2015, has 250 branches across the country with over 3,000 members.
The Monitor caught up with the founder and president, Grace Silver, to find out why they decided to join the proceedings. ” What I want to be known is that we don’t necessarily discriminate against people who engage in same-sex relationships, we don’t hate them, but we are saying that this is against our culture and we should preserve culture,' Silver said, as she explained why they decided to join the matter on the opposing end.
Asked to explain further, Silver added, “Ga se Setswana for a woman to marry another woman. Even if they get married, we won't adopt them into our association. The association is about family, and a family is built by a man and a woman.”
She shared that the mandate of the association is to educate and empower newly married couples and integrate them into married life.
“Our mandate is to bring understanding to newly married women on what marriage is all about, so they can be taught about marriage and how it works. We educate and empower women on how to adapt to married life,” she explained.
Pushed further, Silver explains that for them, a woman should be empowered to support her husband, even to contribute to the household.
'We provide a support system for married women to be able to achieve their potential, and that they should not just settle for their good looks,” she added.
She said the association has been working with religious and cultural leaders to host workshops around the country.
Selelo and Kumile are specifically challenging Section 10(2) of Botswana's Marriage Act, arguing that it violates Sections 3, 7, 12, 13, and 15 of the Constitution.
According to the couple, being denied this right “not only deprives us of material rights such as inheritance and medical decision-making, but also perpetuates social stigma against same-sex couples'.
“My fiancée and I seek to formally create a family between the two of us through marriage. We too seek to enjoy the same rights, dignity, and recognition as heterosexual couples in Botswana in relation to solemnising our marriage,” the couple expressed.
The case is before the Gaborone High Court, with hearings for arguments scheduled for July 14–15, 2026.