Botswana High Court admits new parties to same-sex marriage legalization case
The High Court of Botswana in the capital city of Gaborone has granted applications from several organizations to join a historic case regarding the recognition of same-sex marriages. As reported by MambaOnline , substantive hearings on the lawsuit against the state will take place on October 22 and 23, 2026.
The plaintiffs are Botswana citizens Bonolo Selelo and Tsholofelo Kumile. They are challenging the constitutionality of the national Marriage Act, arguing that the authorities’ refusal to register civil unions for same-sex couples amounts to discrimination.
LGBTQ+ rights advocacy group LEGABIBO has been admitted to the case as a third applicant alongside the couple. Organization representatives stated they are delighted to be part of this historic process and intend to pursue equality and justice for all citizens.
At the same time, the court allowed three conservative organizations—the Botswana House of Prayer and Transformation, the Dingwetsi Association, and the Evangelical Fellowship of Botswana—to join the proceedings as respondents. They will support the government, which is resisting the legalization of same-sex marriages. Additionally, University of Botswana human rights scholar Dr. Onthatile Olerile Moeti has joined the case as an amicus curiae (friend of the court).
In 2019, Botswana decriminalized consensual homosexual relationships. If the court rules in favor of Selelo and Kumile, the nation will become the second country in Africa after South Africa to legalize same-sex marriage. South Africa recognized such unions in 2006.
