Activists Criticise Gay Sex Appeal In Botswana

The Government of Botswana is appealing a recent High Court judgement that legalized gay sex in the country.

While conservative and religious communities have welcomed the news, activists have criticised the moved.

Speaking on the decision Botswana musician Motswafere Sithole stated, "My heart was saddened by that, I felt mortified. We were moving forward; we were making progress, but now it is like we are two steps back."

The move has also been criticised by the executive director of the Botswana Network on Ethics, Law and HIV/AIDS (BONELA), Cindy Kelemi, who has stated, “It’s really, really disappointing. It basically means the government affirms the institutionalized stigma that is based on policy and laws that basically discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation.”

The ruling overturned Sections 164 and 165 of the country’s penal code, which prescribes a jail sentence of up to seven years for those found guilty. 

A date for the appeal is yet to be announced.