PROPOSAL TO BAN MINISKIRTS, CLEAVAGES IN COMMUNITY MEETINGS

MBABANE – The community of Makholokholo has proposed the banning of miniskirts and showing of cleavages in community meetings.

The proposed ban, which has caused an uproar, also extends to men, who are forbidden from wearing short pants and sleeveless shirts that expose the flesh. The restrictions hiked emotions during a Ward II, Makholokholo community meeting, which was held at the gogo centre, yesterday morning, chaired by the Local Community Committee (LCC) Chairperson, Knowledge Ngwenya. Ngwenya is renowned for his no-nonsense stance towards teachers who abuse young girls in schools. After much contention, the meeting failed to arrive at a conclusion on the issue, but parents were advised to engage with their children, after which a final decision would be made. Makholokholo is a township in Mbabane, in the Hhohho Region, situated near the Mbangweni suburb.

Inappropriate

According to some of the community members, inappropriate dress code, which include miniskirts and shorts is common among the youth during meetings. The elders said this was totally unacceptable. The issue has divided the community, as some residents are of the view that the ban would isolate the young people, and discourage them from attending meetings.
The community members feel that it is unreasonable to approve a certain dress code, yet even in church, they have the liberty to wear anything they want to, including short skirts and pants for women. Others are of the view that a line should be drawn, as there are specific dress codes for particular gatherings, hence the community meetings are respectable and need to be accorded the dignity they deserve.

Meeting

“When attending a community meeting, women should not expose flesh by wearing skimpy outfits, but should cover-up,” they stated. Ngwenya, who chaired the meeting, said bandlancane or the LCC would arrange for another meeting towards month end, where they would gather views from the youth on the issue. According to Ngwenya, another meeting would be held around May, where they would then announce their stand as a community regarding the dress code. He further called upon the parents to engage with their children on the matter.

On another note, he announced that a fine of E100 would be required from each homestead for failure to attend community, meetings. This, according to Ngwenya, was a consensus they had reached as a community in order to encourage participation among all community members. He said decisions at community level needed to be taken by a majority and not a few individuals. On the issue of late coming during meetings, he said they were yet to decide how they would discourage such. Furthermore, he encouraged the community to report whenever they faced difficulties in attending meetings. Ngwenya stated that community meetings would be held once every month.

Meanwhile, the debate over the dress code also caught the attention of activists, who felt it was a human rights violation to dictate or impose on someone what to wear. Interviewed, Human Rights Lawyer Thabiso Mavuso said it was wrong to impose on people what they could, or not, wear. Mavuso stated that culturally, when a man was dressed in a traditional manner, and had put on umncadvo (male genital cap), there was no need for covering up. He said umncadvo was a complete traditional gear for a liSwati man. Mavuso said morality and legislation were two related things that had different meanings. The lawyer stated that morality was well enforced in the church, where the issue of dress code is still a challenge.  He added that culturally, a girl child could wear indlamu and luvadla, hence it was not allowed for someone to impose their own morals and cultures, as such was a human rights issue.

Meanwhile, Traditionalist Shiyinkhani Msibi reiterated the human rights lawyer’s sentiments. Msibi said he was of the view that young people, especially those who had no children, could dress in very short skirts and show their buttocks and ‘boobs’ whenever they felt like. He said culturally, they were also allowed to wear tindlamu, hence it was critical for the communities to take into consideration that females who had no children dressed differently from those who had. Msibi said when these young people participate in a meeting, they should be left alone to wear whatever they were comfortable in. However, he said those who had children had to cover their heads and knees. Msibi said in urban areas, the law allowed for them to wear anything, even if they had children.

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