Mathe Family Battles Repressive Citizenship Act

The State has denied that Sunniva Moratiwa Greger Mathe and Jonas Nokwazi Greger Mathe are compelled to abandon their birth land in a case in which the two and their mother Aithabile Pauline Mathe are suing the government of Botswana.  The Mathes allege a violation of their rights. Their argument for the right to dual citizenship is a case similar to the Unity Dow (Attorney General v. Dow) one of the past.

The two children, Sunniva and Jonas, were born in Oslo, Norway in 2002 and 2005 respectively. They have Botswana and Norwegian passports and continue to live between the two countries. Although the two children are yet to attain the age of 21, they are faced with the painful possibility of renouncing either their Botswana or Norwegian citizenship once they reach 21, as required by the Act.