HIS MAJESTY GIVES SODV BILL THUMBS UP

MBABANE - From today onwards, if you unlawfully stalk a person there is a possibility of going to jail or paying a hefty fine.

Stakeholders, who fought endlessly for the passing of the Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence (SODV) Bill, 2015 have every reason to celebrate as His Majesty King Mswati III has given his assent to the once controversial Bill after it was passed by the 10th Parliament two months ago.

This means that after over 10 years of differing views between stakeholders and legislators, the Kingdom of Eswatini can now boast a legal instrument that is expected to strongly deal with the widespread occurrence of sexual and gender-based violence.
The good news that the King had given his assent was confirmed by Attorney General Sifiso Mashamphu Khumalo yesterday.
Khumalo stated that the official gazette to make the Act legal was yet to be published.

For many years, it looked like the legislation would never see the light of day following differing views on some of its clauses.
This was due to alleged perceptions that some of the clauses would infringe on the Eswatini law and custom.
While the plan to enact the legislation was introduced in 2006, it was a case of so near yet so far in 2011 when the House of Assembly passed the Bill of 2009 but it was never enacted into law.

The same happened in June 2013 when organisations celebrated after the 2009 Bill was passed and awaited royal assent by His Majesty King Mswati III for full enactment into law which however, this did not happen.

Towards the end of last year, the Bill of 2015 was in the spotlight when the then Chairperson of the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office (DPM) Portfolio Committee, former Sandleni MP James Simelane, tabled a report on it with the four clauses having been removed.
The four clauses that were removed were Clauses 4, 10, 42 and 47 and the committee stated that some of them were against Eswatini culture. 

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