CONTROVERSIAL SEXUAL OFFENCES BILL REPORT WITHDRAWN

LOBAMBA – Whether it was due to public pressure or not, Sandleni MP James Simelane yesterday withdrew the controversial report on the Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Bill, which called for the scrapping of four core clauses.

Addressing a packed House of Assembly, the MP nervously first stated that he was amending the report by reinstating the clauses.  The contentious clauses were Clause 4, 10, 42 and 47 which touch on incest, unlawful stalking, abduction and flashing. Women activists who had crammed the public gallery listened attentively as Simelane stammered through his presentation.
“I just want to tell the House that we had a fine-tuning meeting where it was recommended that the clauses which the committee had removed be put back in,” said Simelane.
However, the Speaker, Themba Msibi, said the MP could not just say that he was ammending the report on the floor.

He said he must debate it, as it had been presented to the House and perhaps after the members had made their submissions he could then amend it.
At this point, Kwaluseni  MP Mkhosi Dlamini asked that the Speaker allows Simelane to withdraw the report as he looked like he was not ready to proceed.
However, the Speaker said the Bill was very important and had been dragging since 2015. 

MP Dlamini was supported by Matsanjeni North MP Phila Buthelezi, who said Simelane must be allowed to go back and polish the Bill or report and include all the clauses which he wished to.
Manzini North MP Jan Sithole also said he must be allowed to bring a new report which included the clauses. Mbabane East MP Esther Dlamini said she also supported that the report be withdrawn because as a portfolio committee, it was not what they had agreed on.  However, the House ruled that Simelane should continue motivating his motion.

At this point, Simelane submitted that they had many stakeholders who had come to make their submissions since June 4, 2015.
He said stakeholders like CANGO and Women and Law in Swaziland had submitted that the four clauses should not be removed from the Bill and be included.
He said they had other submissions from traditionalists who felt that some of the clauses went against the Swazi culture.

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