Botswana gay rights group get court right to officially register

Forum 9 years ago

Botswana gay rights group get court right to officially register

LEGABIBO supporters celebrate outside the court after the judgement was handed down.

Human rights group, The l£sb!ans, Gays & Bisexuals of Botswana(LEGABIBO)has won a landmark legal case in the country’s High Court, allowing it to be officially registered in the country.

According to reports, the court said the government had acted illegally when it banned the group, which prompted the human rights group to take case to the country’s High Court after the Department of Labour and Home Affairs blocked it from registering as an organization.

In the final court hearing, which was held on Friday, November 14, 2014, at theGaborone High Courts of Botswana,Judge Rannowane, who presided over the case, gave his final judgment in favour of LEGABIBO group to be officially registered.

Speaking with BBC, a spokesperson of the group identified asCaine Youngmantold the BBC said:
‘I am happy with the judgement – it has sent a message to the government, the entire region and Africa.’
LeGaBiBo (l£sb!ans, Gays and Bisexuals of Botswana) is the first LGBTI (l£sb!an, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex) organization in Botswana, was founded by Ditsh wanelo, the Centre for Human Rights in 1998 as a project.
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However, due to lack of resources, the project could not be implemented and was therefore inactive until it resurfaced under BONELA Botswana Network on Ethics, Laws and HIV/AIDS).