Decrminalisation of Sexual Acts Between Consenting Adults in Same Sex Relationships in Botswana
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DECRMINALISATION OF SEXUAL ACTS BETWEEN CONSENTING ADULTS IN SAME SEX RELATIONSHIPS IN BOTSWANA Dorothy Nametsegang Morupisi Mrpnam001 SUBMITTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN In Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Masters in Commercial Law Faculty of Law UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN Supervisor: Professor Jaco Barnard-Naudeꞌ University of Cape Town Department of Private Law Research dissertation paper presented for the approval of the Senate in fulfilment of Master of Laws degree in approved courses and a minor dissertation. The other part of the requirement for this qualification was the completion of a programme of courses. I hereby declare that I have read and understood the regulations governing the submission of Master of Laws in Private Law and Human Rights, including those relating to length and plagiarism, as containedUniversity in the rules of ofthis University,Cape and Town that this dissertation paper conforms to those regulations. SEPTEMBER 2015 Word count: 25 925 The copyright of this thesis vests in the author. No quotation from it or information derived from it is to be published without full acknowledgement of the source. The thesis is to be used for private study or non- commercial research purposes only. Published by the University of Cape Town (UCT) in terms of the non-exclusive license granted to UCT by the author. University of Cape Town i Table of Contents Abstract ...................................................................................................................................... iv Dedication .................................................................................................................................... v Acknowledgments ...................................................................................................................... vi Plagiarism Declaration ............................................................................................................. viii List of abbreviations ................................................................................................................... ix Chapter one ..................................................................................................................................... 1 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Homosexuality in Botswana ................................................................................................. 1 1.2 Thesis statement .................................................................................................................... 3 1.3 Motivation for Research ........................................................................................................ 3 1.4 Main Research Question ....................................................................................................... 4 1.5 Research Problem .................................................................................................................. 4 1.6 Significance of study ............................................................................................................. 5 1. 7 Literature Review ................................................................................................................. 6 1.8 Methodology ......................................................................................................................... 9 1.9 Limitations of the study......................................................................................................... 9 1. 10 Overview of chapters ....................................................................................................... 10 Chapter two ................................................................................................................................... 11 2. LEGAL POSITION OF BOTSWANA REGARDING LGBTIs .......................................... 11 2.1 Constitutional protection of human rights ........................................................................... 12 2.1.1 Equality before the law ................................................................................................. 13 2.1.2. Whether section 3 of the Constitution includes those who engage in same-sex sexual conduct................................................................................................................................... 14 2.1.3. Whether section 3 permits discrimination on the ground of sexual orientation .......... 15 2.1.4. Whether criminalisation of same sex activities violate sections 3, 9 and 15 of the Constitution ........................................................................................................................... 16 2.1.5. Limitation of fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution.................................. 19 ii 2.1.6. Whether the ruling in Kanane discriminates against homosexuals ............................. 20 2.2. Status of Botswana with regard to international human rights treaties .............................. 23 2.3. International human rights instruments that Botswana has ratified ................................... 24 2.3.1. The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) ........................... 25 2.3.2. African Charter on Human and People’s Rights (ACHPR) ........................................ 25 2.4. Botswana’s level of compliance with international obligation of human rights protection26 2.5. Conclusion .......................................................................................................................... 30 Chapter three ................................................................................................................................. 31 3. HISTORY OF DECRIMINALISATION OF SAME SEX RELATIONSHIPS IN SOUTH AFRICA .................................................................................................................................... 31 3.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 31 3.2 History of homosexuality in South Africa .......................................................................... 31 3.3 Gay and lesbian movements ................................................................................................ 32 3.4. Inclusion of sexual orientation as a ground of discrimination in the interim Constitution 34 3.4.1. Struggle by the Coalition group................................................................................... 35 3.5. Decriminalisation of male homosexual practices post the inclusion clause ...................... 37 3.6. Challenges facing the decriminalisation process ............................................................... 40 3.6.1 Prior to the equality clause ........................................................................................... 40 3.6.2 Post-apartheid ............................................................................................................... 41 3.7. Conclusion .......................................................................................................................... 42 Chapter four .................................................................................................................................. 44 4. CULTURE AND RELIGIOUS BELIEFS THAT LIMIT THE ENJOYMENT OF FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS BY SEXUAL MINORITIES IN BOTSWANA ........................................................................................................................... 44 4.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 44 4.2 Morality and homosexuality................................................................................................ 45 4.2.1 Morality v Law: Definition ........................................................................................... 45 4.2.2. Relationship between morality and the law ................................................................. 46 4.2.3. The role of criminal law in terms of the Wolfenden Report ....................................... 47 4.2.4. Hart-Devlin debate ...................................................................................................... 48 iii 4.3. Religion and homosexuality ............................................................................................... 50 4.3.1. Freedom of religion in Botswana ................................................................................ 50 4.3.2. Christianity and Homosexuality .................................................................................. 51 4.4. Effects of homophobia on gays and lesbians ..................................................................... 53 4.5 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................... 55 Chapter five ................................................................................................................................... 57 5. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ............................................................... 57 5.1 Conclusions ......................................................................................................................... 57 5.2 Recommendations ..............................................................................................................