Following his speech in December 2018, President Mokgweetsi Masisi of Botswana tends to have given a nod for same-sex relations, opining that LGBT citizens deserve to have their rights protected. Not surprised with the comment, Botswana decriminalized homosexuality on Tuesday, with the High Court overturning a colonial-era law that punished gay sex by up to seven years in prison.
The act is being frowned in more than 70 countries worldwide; almost half of them in Africa, where homosexuality is broadly seen as a taboo and persecution is rife.
“Discrimination has no place in this world, All human beings are born equal.
Homosexuality is another form of sexuality that has been suppressed for years,” Justice Michael Leburu said.
The case, which local media reported had been brought by a university student, argued the government should do away with the law in light of a changing society where homosexuality was more widely accepted.
Botswana’s ruling comes after Kenya’s high court upheld its law banning gay sex, keeping same-sex relations punishable by 14 years in jail, drawing strong criticism from the United Nations and rights activists.
