OPINIONISTA: Queer up and seek justice and protection for all in Botswana

Misery won’t touch you gentle. It always leaves its thumbprints on you; sometimes it leaves them for others to see, sometimes for nobody but you to know of.’ – Edwidge Danticatnot far off from the rugby pitch. It was on a very early spring morning whenI was numb from the alcohol I had been given by older boys. The person who protected me in school became the reason I could not move or scream for help.

In Botswana, however, there has been a slight change. For the first time ever, a sitting head of state has noted the discrimination faced by those in same-sex relationships. This is significant given the current political climate, upcoming general elections and intolerant legislative environment. Also, a former president has stated how he feared losing votes if he were to be publicly supportive of the LGBT community during his presidency.

In adulthood, we carry our histories as burdens of consciousness, left to navigate the world of self-discovery and other complexities of peer pressure and societal expectations. When the symptoms of gender-based violence or corrupt practices emerge, they are reflective of what power looks like when it exerts itself. When there is no care or delivery in public health or law enforcement, we are reminded of how unprivileged we are. When femininity poses a threat by being visible and having a voice, patriarchy rears its ugly head. There are many facets in our stories that often don’t reflect in public health or strategic litigation.

South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

OPINIONISTA: Congrats, Mr President: Now show us why you were Madiba’s chosen oneOPINIONISTA: Congrats, Mr President: Now show us why you were Madiba’s chosen one By Derek Carstens Now that CyrilRamaphosa was elected President by the People of South Africa and not by the branches of the ANC, Monday should be the day he gets rid of his NEC as well as the useless trash of Ministers. Failing which, South Africa will slide into the Abyss!
Source: dailymaverick - 🏆 3. / 84 Read more »

OPINIONISTA: The empowerment of the mind will lead to compensationThe greater the skill and know-how of the citizen, the greater their capacity to add value to others through their productivity.
Source: dailymaverick - 🏆 3. / 84 Read more »

OPINIONISTA: SA stands proud, again, the country’s search for redemption seemingly never-endingThe people have spoken. The message to the ANC is clear: One last chance — clean up your act or you will be punished further in the 2021 local government elections.
Source: dailymaverick - 🏆 3. / 84 Read more »

OPINIONISTA: It’s in your hands now, Mr Ramaphosa — let the nation-building beginPresident Cyril Ramaphosa has a daunting to-do list, starting with taking concrete steps to revive the ailing economy, clamping down on corrupt ‘big fish’ in both public and private sectors, streamlining the government and improving governance, boosting small business and ensuring meaningful transformation.
Source: dailymaverick - 🏆 3. / 84 Read more »

OPINIONISTA: Investing in the stock market: EndgameThe JSE has been under pressure for the past few years, but the result does not have to mimic the Avengers movie Infinity War. A happy ending is still possible here. Over to you President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Source: dailymaverick - 🏆 3. / 84 Read more »

OPINIONISTA: Glebelands Hostel and KZN killings continue, elections or no electionsThe reign of terror by faceless – and not-so-faceless – assassins in KwaZulu-Natal in general, and in Glebelands Hostel in particular, continues despite at least one of the alleged assassins supposedly being in jail.
Source: dailymaverick - 🏆 3. / 84 Read more »

OPINIONISTA: Ramaphosa’s tasks: More jobs, greater responsiveness, improved accountability, less impunity, no new corruptionIt is fervently to be hoped that the political leadership of the country will see the need to have a squeaky-clean Cabinet in place and will urgently move to kick-start the legislative process required to give birth to the Integrity Commission that the IFP has asked the president to establish. Putting it in place is SA’s best hope for a better life for all. The political will to do so can be bolstered by the work of Parliament in holding the executive to account.
Source: dailymaverick - 🏆 3. / 84 Read more »

OPINIONISTA: On World No Tobacco Day, the WHO should promote vapingThe World Health Organisation has adopted a hardline authoritarian stance on tobacco that threatens to do more harm than good. It should promote vaping, instead of recommending prohibiting or restricting its sales.
Source: dailymaverick - 🏆 3. / 84 Read more »

OPINIONISTA: A curate’s egg of an electionThe best aspect of South Africa’s sixth national election since democracy in 1994 was that it was extremely peaceful, virtually incident free, fair, and credible. The top marks go to the 16 million who cast their votes, many in difficult rural terrain and some in cold, rainy conditions. The downside was that this was the lowest turnout of registered voters since that first seminal democratic election.
Source: dailymaverick - 🏆 3. / 84 Read more »

OPINIONISTA: 2019 Elections: Proof that the people have withdrawn their consentLast week, on 8 May 2019, the election turnout dropped below 50% of eligible voters. The elections are used for legitimacy by a class of politicians, media and civil society who will wag their fingers at those who said ‘none of the above’. But a majority of the people now say this is democracy only as farce. We can hear that and start to think hard about our institutions and how to change them, or sit back and wait for a disaster to actually happen.
Source: dailymaverick - 🏆 3. / 84 Read more »

OPINIONISTA: Public holidays: Enough already, South AfricaFive out of the last eight weeks have harboured a public holiday, wreaking havoc with our ability to do business. Three of them occurred midweek – a phenomenon that incentivises the taking of additional leave days by a large chunk of the diminishing working population that supports our frail economy. We need an intervention.
Source: dailymaverick - 🏆 3. / 84 Read more »