The parliament is on the verge of passing a law to implement a ruling by the Supreme Court, which deems the ban on homosexuality unconstitutional.
The Evangelical Fellowship of Botswana (EFB), an umbrella organisation for various church denominations, called on its supporters to take to the streets. This weekend, a crowd of believers marched through the capital city of Gaborone. "We do not hate them (homosexuals)," says EFB Chairman Pulafela Siele to AfricaNews, "but in our view, this law will not bode well for our country." Speaking to Voice of Africa, Pulafela says: "This will open the floodgates to immorality. They will start teaching these things to children in schools."
Among the LGBT+ community, there is fear regarding the role of churches. Thato Moruti, director of LEGABIBO, feels that religious groups are trying to "manipulate" the parliament and the judiciary. He tells the local newspaper GuardianSun that the Church has forgotten its role in society, which is to "preach love and acceptance." Moruti suggests that the Church should not impose "Christian fundamentalism that causes hate and bullying."
In Africa, the position of LGBT+ individuals is increasingly under pressure. Uganda recently passed one of the world's strictest anti-LGBT+ laws. Malawi witnessed significant anti-LGBT+ demonstrations this month. Religious organisations, funded by donations from Western churches, often play a role in these campaigns.