IOL
25 November 2014
Gaborone – Advocacy group, Lesbians, Gays and Bisexuals of Botswana (Legabibo), will re-apply to register as an organisation, it said on Tuesday.
Legabibo will make a fresh application to the country’s registrar of societies on Wednesday.
The group is re-applying after winning a case in which it challenged government’s refusal to register the organisation.
In rejecting the application, government had argued the constitution does not recognise homosexuals.
“We are working with our legal team to finalise our registration papers before submission tomorrow,” said Legabibo co-ordinator, Caine Youngman, in an interview with Sapa.
He said they would also attach the court order to support their application.
Youngman is confident the application will be successful.
“I have no doubt (on the application). We are supported by a verdict from the high court. Government has been abiding by court orders over the years,” he said.
Two weeks ago high court judge Terrence Rannowane ruled that Legabibo could register the organisation.
The labour ministry and the Register of Societies previously refused to let the organisation register. Rannowane ruled this to be unlawful.
Handing down judgment, Rannowane said he had examined the objective of Legabibo “with view of finding out if any of the them offends against section 72 of the Society’s Act”.
He concluded this was not the case and set aside the decision by the Register of Societies to deny them registration and recognition in 2012.
In an interview last week, labour minister Edwin Batshu said he was studying the judgment before making any decision.
http://www.iol.co.za/news/africa/legabibo-re-applies-for-registration-1.1786251#.VHWZg4uUdHM
