DITSHWANELO on the judgement on the Letsweletse Motshediemang Vs Attorney General (Decriminalisation Case)
Monday, May 13, 2019
This court ruling follows Botswana’s Universal Periodic Review (January 2018) in which Canada, United States of America, Sweden, Iceland, Spain, Argentina, and Philippines recommended that there not be decriminalisation of same-sex consensual acts. This was in order to ensure equality and non-discrimination.
In January 2019, Angola’s Parliament removed a legal provision relating to same-sex conduct. It has also prohibited discrimination against people on the basis of sexual orientation.
It is not uncommon in this part of the world for parents to actually punish their children when they show signs of depression associating it with issues of indiscipline, and as a result, the poor child will be lashed or given some kind of punishment. We have had many suicide cases in the country and sadly some of the cases included children and young adults. We need to start looking into issues of mental health with the seriousness it...