“Be Tolerant Towards Homosexuals.”- Minister Botlhogile Tshireletso

Homosexuality has always been a touchy subject for Batswana. It take a bold person like the Assistant Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Botlhogile Tshireletso to utter a public word about it. She has called for tolerance towards homosexuals in the society. She said that people who are saying Batswana are not ready to discuss the decriminalization of homosexuality are wrong.

She said that this in contribution to the budget speech which was delivered earlier this month. This according to the minister, is because it is not noted in Vision 2016 under the Pillar of ‘A Moral and Tolerant Nation’, which calls for greater tolerance and acceptance of differences between people, religion, language and ethnic background.  She said that under this pillar Batswana indicated that by 2016, they do not want to feel discriminated against in terms of their freedom to choose what to do with their lives.

Tshireletso also called for legalization of abortion.  She said that it is common knowledge that the country records high incidences of maternal mortality, which she said are mostly caused by unsafe abortion.She said that it is a known fact that people continue to engage in illegal termination of pregnancies.