is there hope in vision 2016?

By Daniel Somerville

May 26, 2004: The government of Botswana has issued a bold vision statement for the nation called Vision 2016. It promises all citizens safety, security, freedom of expression and a tolerant nation, but how will this help LGBT people if they don't lobby around their rights within the framework of the vision.

The work of defining Vision 2016 began in August 1996 with a nine person Presidential Task Group. They produced a booklet entitled "A Framework for a Long Term Vision for Botswana". The Vision 2016 describes a national manifesto for the people of Botswana and it claims to reflect the views of many different parts of Botswana's society.

"The development plans of Botswana," Vision 2016 states, "have always been based upon the four national principles, which are Democracy, Development, Self-reliance and Unity. These principles are still valid today, and must be re-focused to embrace change and relate to Botswana's current level of development."

In describing a fifth principle, that of "Botho" (a Setswana word for respect, good manners) the Vision states that, "Botho as a concept must stretch to its utmost limits the largeness of the spirit of all Batswana. It must permeate every aspect of our lives, like the air we breathe, so that no Motswana will rest easy knowing that another is in need."

These bold words of inclusivity would seem to be opening the doors for LGBT lobbying; laying the ground for successful change in legislation that outlaws homosexuality in Botswana. However, Legabibo, the country's LGBT group are dispersed and virtually none functioning. "It is very hard to get hold of them," one activist told me. "Because they have no office space and no permanent staff. The law prevents them from registering as an organisation, which has left them pretty helpless."

At the All Africa conference in Johannesburg earlier this year, representatives from Botswana admitted that the registration issue was just one part of the problem. "Lesbian and gay people in Botswana are not really interested in organising. If we throw a party then they will all turn up, but try to stage a rally or a meeting to discuss serious issues and there will be no more than a handful."
Activists working in the field of HIV/Aids in Botswana admit that accessing MSMs (men who have sex with men) is a big problem. "The government do not include same sex behaviour in their information. But how can they when homosexuality is outlawed - it is a catch 22 situation. They know there is a problem but there is no-one to deal with, not the government nor the LGBT community."
One of the reasons sited for the lack of an effective LGBT lobby is insidiously personal according to another activist in Gaborone. "The gay scene is young, young as in not long established, but also young as in, populated by mostly young people - there is a lot of gossip, bitchiness and in fighting, usually caused by the fact that many of them have been in relationships with each other. It is a very small community."
So will the opportunities presented by Vision 2016 be lost? The document, aside from promising better schooling and business opportunities as well as better access to communication tools, housing and better wages also declares, "By the year 2016, Botswana will be a compassionate and caring nation." Not only in relation specifically to poverty eradication but also claiming that the negative impact of the AIDS epidemic in Botswana will have been halted and reversed.
If only in the arena of HIV being halted, that will never be possible unless MSMs are included in government programmes and with regard to health care the document also promises access to health care for all. This alone is an inroad for LGBT activists.

On safety and security there is also an interesting statement in the Vision that without doubt can be applied to LGBT rights. "By the year 2016, Botswana will be a safe and secure nation. Violent crime will have been eliminated, and there will be full protection of individual rights."

Combine the concept of individual rights with the further claim that Botswana will be a "moral and tolerant nation" with "tolerant social attitudes towards people of different cultures, ethnic traditions, religions or disabilities" and there is certainly scope for making a good argument for the emancipation of LGBT people in Botswana. However, the sting in the tale comes at the end. "By the year 2016, Botswana will be a united and proud nation, sharing common ideals, goals and symbols. Society will be under-pinned by resilient family values with a strong sense of tradition and pride in its history." Those resilient family values and the sense of tradition will surely be the tools of oppression for those intent on excluding LGBT people from the framework of Botswana's society. None the less, the document should bring hope. All that is needed now are the activists willing to engage in the fight. Surely the government will not necessarily interpret voluntarily the Vision 2016 to the advantage of LGBT people but at the very least it can be seen as an invitation to LGBT community to begin to organise using the wording of the Vision itself.