Khama has the right to decide whether to get married :: Mmegi Online

This is a response to a number of newspaper articles and letters about the Vice President Ian Khama and his marital status. While I am not his fan, I wish to defend his right to choose. But my take is not strictly about whether he should or should not marry before he becomes President rather more a theoretical exploration of what, at a deeper level, informs notions of 'marriage' and 'family'.

Many of the writers, whether or not they think Khama ought to marry before he ascends to the Presidency, seem to be firmly located within the functionalist and patriarchal perspectives, which they seem to regard as unproblematic, God-given and therefore generaliseable to everyone. This kind of thinking unfortunately fails to take account of the political issues of diversity and difference in society.

In this response, my position is premised on questioning and challenging dominant assumptions and discourses. This problematising stance seeks to uncover regressive tendencies in these discourses. This stance also subscribes to a political philosophy that, among others, denounces any form of institutionalised discrimination, marginalisation and oppression of any group in society. It also denounces selective application of issues of morality and human rights.

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