By:\u00a0UTLWANANG GASENNELWE<\/p>\n
Government of Botswana, through Ministry of Nationality, Immigration and Gender Affairs has refused to issue a birth certificate of a minor child (names withheld) at the request of her father.<\/p>\n
The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Nationality, Immigration and Gender Affairs controls and supervises issuing of birth certificates. The denial by the government to issue the minor the birth certificate has culminated in a landmark court case where the father, Tshepo Mpatane, will face off against government at the High court. The application was registered by esteemed human rights attorney and partner at Thabiso Tafila Attorneys, Phazha Molebatsi, on behalf of the minor child.<\/p>\n
[…]<\/p>\n
Mpatane also mentioned that the birth certificate should register his child as a Motswana by virtue of his nationality as a Motswana. \u201cThe refusal by government to issue a birth certificate to my child not only deprives her of her rights as a citizen but also her rights as a Motswana child,\u201d he highlighted in the court papers.<\/p>\n
As a background in the matter, Mpatane said sometime around January 1999, he entered into a romantic relationship with a certain Ms Nomsa Mahlanga, a national of Zimbabwe. At the time he says he was on a 2 months trip in Selibe Phikwe where he met and fell in love with Nomsa who was also residing in the town and only knew her as \u201cDineo\u201d and therefore did not have any reason to believe that she was not a citizen of Botswana. It is understood that the father later moved to Kasane.<\/p>\n