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Execution Rock, where in the 1880s Swazis would march criminals and make them jump off. None survived.

Last week I was attending a conference on building capacity and drafting a strategic plan for the MenEngage Network. It’s part of a larger alliance that covers most of the Southern African countries.

The 4-day workshop was a resounding success. Attendees shared strengths and weaknesses and most came away having fully committed to the idea of helping to shift the patriarchal attitude in Swaziland.

 It was an honour to be there. In the mornings, before the conference, I went for an hour walk to get the juices flowing. The location of the conference was at Happy Valley Casino, situated in Ezulweni. This is a very affluent part of Swaziland, were expats and wealthy Swazis have built opulent homes.

Here are some shots from my early morning rambles…

Happy Valley Casino, where, ironically, many NGO meetings are held in Swaziland.

Gorgeous mist when hot weather meets cold.

Monkey jinks!

Even Kuwait likes Ezulweni!

Lovely in the mist…

Peacocks rule in Ezulweni!

Children in Lobamba love having their picture taken.

People who are only visiting Swaziland for a short time can get a feeling for the true life of Swazis by taking a village tour. Yes, the first impression of Swaziland is smooth paved highways, shopping malls filled with trendy, Chinese-made merchandise, grocery stores overflowing with packaged goods…and yet, this is not the experience of 80 percent of the population. The majority of Swazis live in rural areas. Their homesteads comprise mud and stick huts, they have to walk long distances to get water, they cook porridge in three-legged pots over an open fire and many children do not attend school because the fees and costs of uniforms is more than parents earning $2 a day can manage. Unemployment is rife and a single wage earner often supports extended families of up to 15 people.

When I had a visitor recently, we went on a guided walk through Lobamba Village with a local tour operator called All Out Africa. The Lobamba region is between Manzini and Mbabane. It’s the cultural capital of the country and is the home of eLudzidzine, the King’s traditional royal residence. The royal stadium is host to the annual Reed Dance and the Royal Kraal draws thousands each year to the Incwala ceremony. The parliament buildings are here, as well as the National Football Association headquarters.

We started our tour at the museum, which explained how Swazis are really Zulus who broke off relations with their warring leaders in the 1700s. Following the Dlamini clan, they settled in the safe, mountainous region now known as Swaziland. The museum chronicled the Transvaal rule, the era of the British protectorate and independence in 1968. Much emphasis was placed on the current king’s father, King Sobuza, who brought in archeologists and anthropologists to help define what is now knows as Swazi culture and tradition. This includes the traditional garb, the national ceremonies and an uncodified and unwritten “cultural” law.

The Eternal Flame, lit only on special occasions.

Next to the museum was King Sobhuza II’s memorial, consisting of a statue and a sort of mausoleum only accessible to Swazis. It is also home of the so-called eternal flame, which is lit only for special occasions. The best part of this memorial facility is the display of King Sobhuza’s cars. A humble man who liked to walk barefoot and sit on the ground, his three cars were gifts. My favorite was the 1957 Buick, with flashy fins and a flat tire.

King Sobhuza’s 1957 Buick!

From there we walked to the village of Lobamba, a warren of stick and mud homes with a population of 8,000. King Sobuza had his royal residence there, which is how the village developed. These days many residents work at the present King’s royal residence, a few hundred meters away. Swazi tradition says once a king has died, his home cannot be touched by anyone else. Sobuza’s residence is now a crumbling amalgam of small buildings overgrown with weeds.

Beki, our guide shook his head as he showed it to us. “I don’t know what will happen with the current king. He has so many mansions. They are not humble like King Sobuza’s. If nothing can be done with them when he dies it will be such a waste.”

Every other person we passed called out a greeting to Beki, who lives with his mother’s side of the family in their stick and mud compound in the village. “Are you thirsty?” he asked? We nodded. Leading us to a small courtyard filled with low benches, he ordered some of the local brew. A woman brought us a large pickle jar filled with what looked like grey dish water. “Sorghum beer,” explained Beki, taking a swig. I took a small sip from the communal jar. Sour and unappealing, that was enough. Beki disappeared into the hut and then came out with a clay bowl filled with a thick white liquid. “Maize drink, non-fermented,” he explained. This was cool and sweet. Much more to my liking.

The Stick and Mud gallery owned by artist Lucky Mlotsa was next on our agenda. Peering into the dark, one-room hut, I was greeted by a small man with long dreads and a bright smile. “Welcome, come into my home and my studio,” he said expansively. Three cats were curled up on top of a huge loud speaker. “That’s for my band, we rehearse here as well,” he explained. The walls were covered with Lucky’s art, colourful paintings of Swazi life, from the Reed Dance ceremony to a depiction of the busy main intersection in Mbabane.  “I’ve been teaching some community members to paint and on Saturdays I hold children’s classes,” he said, adding, “Four of my students have won national competitions and they were on TV. That’s when I started taking myself seriously.” Lucky explained he is in the process of appealing to the government help him start an arts academy. “I want my efforts to be permanent,” he said.

We had worked up an appetite by this time and Beki lead us to a local butchery for lunch. Picking out some chicken from the glass case, he walked over to an adjacent outbuilding containing a grill fired by large logs. The chicken was soon sizzling on the grill and when it was done we settled down to colourful plates of coleslaw, boiled pumpkin leaves, tomato and avocado salad, pap (made from cornmeal, it resembled grits), and barbequed chicken. All to be eaten with our hands. Delicious and messy. Thankfully I came equipped with Wet Ones.

We said goodbye to Beki and thanked him for showing us a little slice of everyday life…so different from the hustle and bustle of my urban existence.

Things I’ve noticed

1)    Swaziland roads are covered with speed bumps. They are everywhere, especially at intersections.

2)    There is roadside litter, but unlike in North America there a total absence of Styrofoam coffee cups since Swazis aren’t really into coffee.

3)    There are a lot of Mercedes and BMWs here. Some old, some brand, spanking new. Of course, that’s along with double cab trucks (usually with a UN decal) and kombis, which are mini vans with a capacity of 15, but usually stuffed with 25, no seat belts.

4)    24-hour gospel prayer gatherings are really popular. Yesterday was Good Friday and the bass was booming all over town from 7pm to 7am this morning.

5)    The newspaper has a regular gospel section.

6)    Lots and lots of people are pastors. There is no training necessary. Pastors shout out about the evils of demons on buses, vegetable markets and under trees.

7)    Mega churches are popular. There are many large structures and tents where people gather. One popular “prophet” predicts people’s futures.

8)    Sunday afternoon is really big drinking day. Many a time I’ve been on a kombi and had conversations with inebriated seatmates. Most of them ask me if I’m a Christian.

9)    More than 80% of the population lives in rural areas and lives on less than $2 a day – no running water, pit latrines.

10)                  The countryside is also scattered with monster mansions, reputedly owned by royalty or the elite, also knows as “untouchables.”

11)                   The constitution of 6 September 1968 was suspended 12 April 1973 by a State of Emergency decree imposed by King Sobhuza II, the father of the current King Mswati III. The decree gave absolute power to the monarchy and banned organised political opposition to royal rule.

12)                  A new constitution was promulgated 13 October 1978, but was not formally presented to the people.

13)                   The current constitution was enacted in 2005 but most people have no idea what is in it, including the politicians. When in doubt, they rely on “tradition” since there is a dual system here…Swazi Tradition and Cultural Law, and Constitutional Law. Check out this paper “A Constitution Without Constitutionalism” presented by Thulani Maseko at the African Network of Constitutional Law conference on Fostering Constitutionalism in Africa Nairobi April 2007 www.publiclaw.uct.ac.za/…/Maseko_ConstitutionMakingInSwaziland.doc

14)                  Media is severely censored and predominately owned by the state (ie the King, who has absolute power). The usual ethics of journalism do not apply. Many stories don’t really make sense. Here’s a link that explains why Swaziland ranks 155 among 179 nations in the world in regards to press freedom. http://allafrica.com/stories/201302111702.html

15)                   My job is to deal with the press daily. Here’s a link to a story: “Hubby Beats Wife for Wearing Trousers” which I had to comment on on behalf of SWAGAA. Believe it. http://www.times.co.sz/News/85584.html

16)  If people speak out about the unfairness of the political system, they often lose their jobs, their cars and their dignity. So there isn’t a lot of speaking out.

Members of the Swaziland Zionist Church, circa 1974. This shot is by Ludo Kuipers, Sun Apr 14, 1974 and taken from World Pics.

Here in Swaziland, there is often a blurring of the lines between magic, witchcraft and Christianity. Here are some odd things I’ve seen in the newspaper lately…

A talking calabash, which reporters from the Swazi News went to take pictures of. They were afraid it was possessed by demons. The father of a soldier, killed by other soldiers, heard the calabash speak. Soldiers dying at the hands of other soldiers have been in the news a lot lately. The father said the calabash was revealing details about his son’s death.

The following story concerns Zionists and I should explain a little about this dominant form of Christianity in Swaziland. It’s a mixture of Christianity and African traditional religion. The following explanation was gleaned from the Encyclopedia of African Christianity.

Zionists marching on Easter weekend to the King’s residence, 1970. Photo: Ludo Kuipers. They still dress in a similar way and I see them often on a Saturday, heading out to an all night prayer session.

“The Zionist churches are characterised by a commitment to faith-healing, to river-baptism (in a “Jordan” river or sea) and to the Pentecostalist gift of speaking in tongues.

“The Zionist churches were founded by the missionary PL Le Roux, an Afrikaner who had become committed to faith healing. In 1903 Le Roux left the Dutch Reformed church to join a group dependent on the Christian Catholic Apostolic Church which had been founded in the USA by John Alexander Dowie and was focussed on the city of Zion, Illinois, near Chicago. Le Roux had a close and happy relationship with Africans, and easily conveyed the tenets of Zionism to the African Church he served. They called themselves the Zionist Apostolic Church. A few years later Le Roux moved on from Zionism to Pentacostalism, carrying his flock with him from faith-healing to speaking in tongues, but retaining their name.

“The Zionist Apostolic church developed an African leadership very early. Daniel Nkonyane replaced Le Roux as the principal leader of the Zionist Apostolic Church in 1908 when Le Roux went on to join the newly formed Pentecostal church.

“Structurally Zionist churches stand half way between the “Ethiopian” churches and the prophetic churches. Like the “Ethiopian” churches they have clear missionary roots, but they are even more fully enculturated than the Ethiopian churches, openly accepting polygamy and fitting in to the structures of African traditional religions in terms of spirit-possession, faith-healing, manifestations of spiritual power and the like. Like the prophetic churches, they share the same basic assumptions about the reality of witchcraft and the spiritual dimensions of reality, while rejecting witches and spirits as evil beings to be cast out.

“By the 1920s the Zionist churches began to share the look of prophetic churches, donning distinctive white robs, carrying prophetic staffs and observing the same kind of food taboos as the prophetic churches did.”

Women Zionists, Easter, 1970. Photo: Ludo Kuipers.

Here’s a little summary of the story in the newspaper…

There was a disappearance of a Zionist in a river, at a place used by Zionists as a cleansing ceremony pool.  I’ve seen it…there were candles, egg shells and milk carton strewn around, even a chicken head floating in the water. It’s a popular place to exocise demons. One day as I was walking along the rocks at the river’s edge, I heard some frantic shouting. Peeping over a boulder, I spied a Zionist preacher in his blue robes, shouting at and shaking a young woman who stood in her jeans and t-shirt as river water poured over her. The spot is very picturesque, a little waterfall runs into a pool, collecting before it continues downstream. But back to the newspaper story…The man’s sister pointed out his clothes by the river bank, to prove he had been there. She arranged a ceremony with a Zionist preacher, sacrificed a cow into the river (it was alive, and swam to the other side). It was reported that the brother may have been taken by the spiritual river snake and kept underwater to undergo special training to become a spiritual healer. The sister claimed he would emerge from the river the next day. Reporters and onlookers went, but he was a no show. Then the sister said he would emerge from a dam in South Africa. She had the police escort her to the dam…and there he was. A photographer took his picture, looking very wet. People were outraged. It was a “sham,” a “waste of the police’s time”… “Zionists don’t believe in spiritual snakes.” We still don’t know the whole story.

Here’s a link to a fascinating video by Kyle Meyer who was in the country last year documenting a rural Zionist Church. http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1791225461/touch-of-god

Zionist preacher Jeffery Mdalodze at a baptism waterfall. Photo by Kyle Meyer.

Next story..Muti, Democracy and Communism!

Last week there was a ceremony in South Africa for the “Break the Chains” campaign, for the release of political prisoners and the “unbanning of political parties” in Swaziland. It was hosted by the South African Communist Party and members of the Vhembe community did a prayer ritual, to send muti to Swaziland to assist with the breaking of the chains, ie the stranglehold various elites have on the country. (This really boils down to royalty.) Interestingly, the SACP was calling for democracy in Swaziland. Outraged MPs in Swaziland responded, saying muti (a sort of medicine/witchcraft involving ancestral spirits) could never travel that far, and sure as heck couldn’t cross rivers.

Dessert at the Royal Swazi Sun, where many meetings and launches are held.

I’ve been attending quite a few NGO campaign launches, workshops and stakeholders’ meetings since I came to Swaziland and have noticed that things are run a little differently than in Canada. Food is very important and helps draw attendees (humm, maybe not that different. North American press events are the same). I must say, it’s a little disquieting to know many people in Swaziland live on less that $2 Cdn a day…and at these meetings the plates are piled high. Not sure where this all came from…maybe a throwback to British rule? Donor tradition here? Or Swazi custom, where any gathering requires a feast, especially if official dignitaries are invited.

Here’s a little rundown.

1. Invitation comes to your office via hand delivery. This can be 1 week to 1 day prior to the meeting.
2. If it is a campaign launch, it will be a 1/2 day affair. Stakeholders meetings are usually a full day and workshops or training sessions usually go from 3-5 days.
3. Venue – launches are generally in a fancy hotel or resort complex. Usually government officials are invited. There is strict protocol to be followed and lots of long speeches. Workshops are held in very nice hotels and attendees stay overnight. All accommodation and meals are covered. For instance, a workshop hosted by the UNFPA will invite stakeholders to a lodge out of town so they actually stay for the duration of the workshop. Usually there are around 30 attendees at these meetings, along with presenters. The stakeholders’ meetings I’ve attended are a day long and held in convention spaces, or guest houses with meeting rooms.

Heading in for lunch.

4. The meetings are usually scheduled for 8 or 9 am. They start an hour (at least) later.
5. Meetings break around 10-11 for tea. This means tea and coffee, and muffins, biscuits and/or sandwiches.
6. Lunch break is around noon-1pm. Often it is buffet style, meat, veg, rice, potatoes, salad and dessert. This can be for 1-2 hours.

Salads salads salads.

7. Presentations continue after lunch. They are just about always power points, with some question and answer time.
8. By 5 pm the day is over…time for dinner!! (At workshops)
9. Even at community events, say World AIDS Day, with hundreds of attendees, there are speeches, entertainment, more speeches, and lunch…everyone lines up at tents outside and gets a Styrofoam box of chicken or beef stew and rice. Fruit for dessert.
10. Most NGO staff members attend at least a couple of these workshops, launches and stakeholder meetings per week. It can be hard to get your own work done.
11. Examples of gatherings: Gender Links Summit (2 days at Lugogo Sun), Sexual Offenses and Domestic Violence Bill workshop (2 days at Maguga Lodge), Girls Empowerment Club stakeholders meeting (1 day at Great Alpha Restaurant), World AIDS Day (1 day, Mavuso Centre), International Day of the Girl Child campaign launch (1/2 day Happy Valley Hotel and Casino).
12. After these sessions attendees are full of info and food. Most of us have to skip meals for a few days to get back to normal.

LOVE

1)    People’s names: Innocent, Sunshine, Lucky, Fortunate

2)    Warm greetings from people you don’t know. It is common, polite practice to say hello to everyone you meet on the street. Big smiles from strangers are also common.

3)    Mangos the size of my head.

4)    Avocados creamy and heavenly.

5)    The way women carry babies on their backs, tied in place with a kanga (cloth), towel or blanket. The children put their arms around mom’s neck while she ties them into place. You always know a woman is carring a baby when she walks towards you and see the knotted blanket and two tiny feet sticking out.

6)    Well-behaved children. I have not heard one tantrum in the grocery store!

Green beauty on the way to Pigg’s Peak.

Swazis, not Hobbits, live here.

A stunning lodge — Maguga Lodge, near the dam, in northern Swaziland.

7)    The beautiful lush, green, hilly landscape.

8)    Price of South African wine – very decent bottles for $5 Cdn.

9)    Spring…cool evenings for sleeping and warm sunny days.

10)                  Braai culture: parties consist of BYOB and BYOM (meat) – all year round.

Cows are money in the bank for Swazi people.

11)                   Cows and goats on the road – so non-Canadian!

12)                   Beautiful butterflies and moths.

A beautiful moth who alighted on my locker at the gym.

CRAZY-MAKING

1)    Swazi time. I went to an International Women’s Day event on Friday, scheduled for an 8 am start. It began at 11:30 am.

2)    Kombis. This mode of public transport, mini-vans, legally hold around 15 people. Often they get packed with around 25. Perfect TB incubators.

3)    Drivers. Either they think they are on the Autobahn (100 in a 40 mph zone), or they’re afraid they’ll lose control if they go more than 1/2 the speed limit.

4)    Cows and goats on the road – one of the main causes of car accidents. Often owners let them wander freely, grazing by the side of the road, but they also tend to pop out in front of vehicles.

5)    The phone system. There are new networks – one is for cell phones, the other for landlines, and never the twain shall meet. Both are government owned, but the cell-phone company prevails (MTN). If you try to call one from the other, it is VERY expensive. Actually all calls are quite expensive. Texts cost around 10 cents (Cdn) each and a 10-minute cell call will cost around $1 (Cdn). Ouch!

6)    Government process…Lots of talking, but little action. Activists have been pushing for the Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence law to be passed for more than 10 years. The judicial system must rely on laws that are very out of date and perpetrators are often given light sentences.

7)    The belief in demons and witchcraft. Very disturbing and very prevalent.

8)    Reading announcements of police officers getting 30% pay increases, while teachers (who make very small salaries) can’t get a 4.5% increase. (Teachers went on strike last year, were fired by the Prime Minister, then pardoned by the King but still can’t get their 4.5%.)

9)    Polygamy.

10)                   The fact that women have constitutional rights, but many don’t know it. They continue to suffer gender-based violence and just figure that’s a woman’s lot in life – some even think it means the man is still interested in her.

11)                   Yucky giant bugs.

A dead giant being devoured by ants.

IRONIES

1)    The Sunday Time’s editor is named Innocent. He jumps at every opportunity to publish scandal, often based on rumor. One instance was publishing a nude photo of a Swazi embassy employee in the UK provided by her angry ex who was blackmailing her for reneging on a financial agreement. Not really news, and not so innocent.

2)    A man was chewed up by machinery in the sugar mills. The only way they could identify him was by testing for DNA in the sugar. His name was Lucky.

Participants at the community dialogue at Nkwene Inkhundla, Swaziland, March 7, 2013.

A letter I wrote and sent to all media outlets for International Women’s Day…..

We have seen the horrific headlines of women and children being raped and murdered, often by someone they know.  It’s not only happening here, but all over the world. How can we sit with broken hearts while the vulnerable suffer? What can we do about it?

Community women were really interested in all the educational material SWAGAA provided on gender-based violence.

The global theme for International Women’s Day is “A Promise is a Promise: Time for Action to End Violence against Women and Girls.”  In Swaziland the messages are: “A True Leader Keeps a Promise: Support Action to End Violence Against Women and Girls” and “Ending Violence Against Women and Girls Begins with Me.”

The key point is action, from leaders and from ourselves.

What can leaders and the public do? Make perpetrators pay properly for their crimes with harsher sentences. Due punishment will also discourage rapists and abusers from so freely preying upon the vulnerable women and children. We must push for the passing of the Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Bill into law. While legislation and common laws exist to address cases, most are outdated and this is detrimental to survivors. The sentences are often low compared to the severity of the offence. A survivor is left with fear, inability to have intimate relations, physical pain and mental anguish – and a perpetrator often walks away free because our judicial system is so overloaded and intimidating to survivors that they drop the case. Even when a perpetrator is found guilty, in some cases they are back on the street before the survivor has fully healed.

The Bill, if passed into law, will ensure just and consistent punishment for those who commit these heinous crimes. It will discourage the keeping of “family secrets” since withholding information is an offense. Indecent treatment of children, forced marriage of a child, and child pornography are also specifically dealt with in the Bill.

Swaziland is known as a peaceful nation and yet in January and February SWAGAA clients reported a total of 272 cases of abuse.  (See attached charts). While there may be no civil or external war occurring here, domestic battles have been waged and women and children are on the losing side. It’s time for gender-based violence to cease. All Swazis must push for the Sexual Offenses and Domestic Violence Bill to be made into law to make our homes the safe, peaceful places they are meant to be.

Maureen Littlejohn,  Communications Officer

A traditional dance for the Prime Minister of Swaziland on March 7th, in preparation for International Women’s Day.

Members of the Mhlanghya Girls Empowerment Club singing the club song, The Sky is the Limit.

Last week Crossroads’ Southern Africa regional director Nikunja Nepal and board member Kathy Macpherson came to Swaziland to check up on the various projects and local NGOs Crossroads supports. One of the projects Crossroads is proudest of supporting is the Girls Empowerment Clubs (GEC) program at SWAGAA. Nikunja, Cathy and I joined SWAGAA GEC coordinator Doreen Ngwenya and visited three schools where the clubs have been established. Currently there are 10 clubs throughout the country, each with around 40 members, and Crossroads will be providing the finances to start more clubs this year. The clubs are a safe space for girls to gather once a week and share stories, plan activities, learn about their bodies and hygiene, and learn about what abuse is and how to report it to a teacher, social worker or the police.

Discussing the pros and cons of Boys Clubs with members of the Sydney Williams School Girls Empowerment Club. Doreen Ngwena (L) and Nikunja Nepal (2nd L).

The first school we visited was Sydney Williams, a semi-public/private school in Manzini. It wasn’t the regular day or time for the club to meet, but the teacher and coordinator of the club was able to assemble around 15 members to meet with us. It was around 8:30 am and the girls filed into the classroom, dressed in their green and white uniforms. As school had just started for the semester, the girls had yet to elect their president or come up with plans for the year. But they gamely sang the “Sky’s the Limit” for us and engaged in a discussion lead by Nikunja who asked, “Do you think we need to start boys’ clubs?”  Humm. “Maybe a few responded. A high point for me was meeting a member also named Maureen.  My name is very unusual in Swaziland. You’re far more likely to meet Phumziles, Teneles or Zeniles.

The second school we visited was Mhlanghya High School. Located in more of a rural setting, the school was a little less well-funded than Sydney Williams and the students from less affluent families. This was the first meeting of the club this year so the girls were quiet and shy. Their teacher coordinator encouraged a few members to share poems and songs and Nikunja asked them what they liked most about the clubs.  “It’s a safe space,” replied one girl. “We love the exchange visits with other clubs,” responded a chorus of three.

Such positive energy at Sigangeni High School!!

The final stop was Sigangeni High School. It was around an hour’s drive from Manzini, on a very bumpy gravel road. Due to the torrential rains lately, roads were in rough shape and we were lucky to get through.  The club coordinator, Mrs. Thobile Nkambule led the girls in an energetic welcome song and dance that was followed with poems and presentations. One member thanked the club for helping to pay her school fees last year (high school fees are around E5000 per year which is equal to or double what some people earn in a month). They told us they loved the club because it was a place to discuss their problems, and make friends. When asked if a boys’ club should be started, the answer was, “Yes. They should learn not to abuse and rape girls.” Thobile told us before the club was established there were many student/teacher relationships in the school. “The club teaches girls those relationships are not good and those have stopped. There is less teenage pregnancy.” At most Swazi schools, pregnant students are discouraged from attending school, which creates a cycle of poverty – no education, more babies, no income, and often an abuse  relationship with various partners. It was good to hear the club helped discourage these relationships. Thobile said she’d seen girls come out of their shells, become more confident and responsible. “One of our members became very assertive and took part in school debates. She was the best speaker at our school and has gone on to university.” Not all has been rosy, however. “Last year a girl committed suicide. Due to the teacher’s strike our club was not active last year. I am very sorry about that.”

From L-R: SWAGAA’s Doreen Ngwenya and Tenele, members of the Sigangnie Girls Empowerment Club, Thobile Nkambule, Nikunja Nepal and Maureen Littlejohn.

Swaziland is a difficult place for young girls. Every day there are horrendous stories in the paper about rape and abuse. The Girls Empowerment Clubs provide a much-needed service, building the confidence of young females raised in a patriarchal society. Change won’t come overnight, but the seed has been planted.

Swaziland passed the Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Bill in 2009 but has not made it into law yet. Instead, laws that are over 100 years old govern sexual abuse charges….SWAGAA and other NGO and agency partners are advocating for the Bill to be enacted right now. We have a workshop tomorrow explaining the bones of contention for some Parliment members. Here are some of the facts…

Sexual Offenses and Domestic Violence Bill, 2009
Currently, COMMON LAW covers the following offences:
•     Rape
•     Incest
•     Indecent assault
•     Abduction
•     Kidnapping
•     Public Indecency
Legal proceedings  (Statutory Offences) are dictated by outdated Acts:
1. Crimes Act of 1889
2. The Girls and Women’s Protection Act of 1920

Gaps in the Existing Law vs. Provisions of the Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Bill:
Some Gaps in the existing Legislation:
The following are currently not offences in Swaziland:
•     Rape of a male/boy child
The existing definition of rape only relates to men raping women. Similarly the Girl’s and Women’s Protection Act of 1920 only relates to women and girls and does not cover male children.  Sexual penetration of a male is considered an indecent assault which is a lesser charge.
•    However the Sexual Offences Bill Broadens the Definition of Rape to cover “ the insertion even in the slightest degree, of the genital organs of a person into the genital organs, anus or other orifice of another person”.
Marital Rape
At common law rape is not possible within marriage, as women are considered to have consented to sexual intercourse by entering into the marriage contract.  If a woman does not consent to sexual intercourse it is rape and should be treated as such, whether she is married or not.
•    The Sexual Offences does not address the issue of Marital Rape, it does not criminalize it.
Indecent Treatment of Children
(Sexual behaviour that does not include penetration)
•    The Sexual Offences Bill deals in details with this under S36. this has been a gap in the existing legislation. Indecent treatment of children in the Sexual Offences Bill includes unlawfully and indecently dealing with children, unlawfully procuring a child to commit a sexual violation, unlawfully permits himself to be unlawfully dealt with by a child, wilfully and unlawfully exposes a child to a sexual violation by him or another person.
Maintaining a Sexual Relationship With a Child
Having an offence such as this means that you do not need to prove every event of sexual intercourse.
•    This is covered in the Sexual Offences Bill and it is not a requirement that one must have had sexual Relationship with that child for conviction.
Compelled Sexual Assault or Self Assault
•    S 7 and 8 of the Bill deals with this two issues. It provides that forcing one to commit a  sexual violation with another commits an offence. It further provides that  any persons who compels another without his or her consent to do certain acts like masturbation or sexually suggestive or lewd acts commits an offence.
Sexual Harassment
•    Sexual Harassment is now covered in the bill. It includes
•    Subjecting a person to a unsolicited intimacy with including but not limited to physical contact such as patting, pinching or touching in a way that gives you sexual pleasure.
•    Making an unsolicited demand or request for sexual favours.
•    Making  a remark with sexual connotation.
MORE GAPS
•    Penalties/Sentences for Offences
Penalties for sexual offences have not been updated for sometime.  As a result penalties for sexual offences often do not reflect the serious nature of these crimes.
•    The Sexual offences Bill comes with high sentences, making provisions for 50 thousand fine for some of the offences.
Failings that need to be Addressed
•    Delay in reporting
At present any delay in reporting a sexual offence can be held against a victim.  This is unfair and does not take account of the trauma which victims suffer and the different ways victims deal with sexual abuse.
•    The sexual offences Bill takes into account that a victim may due to certain hindrances not be able to report in time.
•    Lack of Children’s Courts
Children’s cases are generally tried in mainstream courts where they are administered by personnel without specialised training.  Whilst a Children’s Court has recently been established in the High Court, numerous cases involving children are still tried in the Magistrates Courts which have no special facilities for children.
Obligation to Report
Whilst in other crimes the law makes it mandatory to report, the same does not apply for sexual offences.
•    The Bill makes it an offence if a person fails to report abuse.
Domestic Violence – Restoring Peace
The court procedure for applying for an interdict or a peace binding order is cumbersome and difficult to understand.  People are often told they need a lawyer to get protection from the Court.  A simple process for applying for protection from the Court needs to be developed so that protection is available to all.
•    The Domestic Violence part of the Bill is not punitive, it seeks to restore peace in different family setting taking into account cohabiting spouses. It makes the courts more accessible for victims of domestic violence.

Following are the statistics SWAGAA just released to the press. Not a pretty picture…We are in Marula season right (an alcoholic drink made from local fruit…you’ll notice February stats are higher and the celebration of this season is why. Lots of horrendous stories in the press right now about jealous drunk ex-boyfriends on killing sprees.)

SWAGAA STATISTICS FOR 2012
Overview
During 2012, SWAGAA provided care and support for 1149 cases. This was slightly down from last year’s number which was 1248. Since abuse is under-reported, this does not mean there is a decease of abuse in Swaziland. On average, SWAGAA counselors took care of 96 cases per month. The months with the highest number of new clients were: January, February and October.

•    Emotional abuse cases were the highest at 50%, followed by physical at 19%, sexual at 15%, financial at 12% and neglect at 4%.
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•    69% of survivors were female, 31% male. There has been a 3% increase in males reporting from 2011’s figures.
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•    73% of perpetrators were male, 27% were female. Males went up by 1% compared to last year.
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•    82% of perpetrators were family members, relatives or in a spousal or boyfriend/girlfriend relationship with the survivor.
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•    The majority of survivors (284) were between 26-40 years old. 92 cases were children between 0-17.
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•    89% of cases occurred in the home.
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•    20% of clients were HIV positive, 4% were HIV negative and 4% did not wish to disclose. An astonishing 27% did not know their status.

REGIONS
There were 608 cases that occurred within the Manzini Region, 174 in Hhohho, 128 in Lubombo and 47 in Shiselweni. The high percentage of abuse cases in Manzini corresponds with the location of our main office.

Figure 1
* There are 957 cases recorded here. The remaining 192 occurred outside Swaziland but were still reported to SWAGAA.

TYPES OF ABUSE
The majority of cases, 647, were emotional/verbal abuse. Physical abuse was next at 245, followed by sexual abuse at 195 and financial abuse at 156. The remaining types of abuse cases were neglect and human trafficking as shown in the figure below.

SURVIVOR AND PERPETRATOR PROFILE
Of survivor clients, 69% were female and 31% were male. There was a slight increase in the number of males reporting abuse especially emotional abuse. Last year’s figures were 28% male survivor clients.
The data relating to the sex of the perpetrator shows 73% were male and 27% were females.

Relationship between Survivor and Perpetrator
According to the available data, 82% of the perpetrators were family members, relatives or in a relationship (spouse/boyfriend/girlfriend) with the client. The data indicates that in the majority of cases the perpetrator is well known to the survivor of violence.

AGES OF SURVIVORS
From available data on 650 SWAGAA clients, 284 were 26-40 years old. 135 clients were 18-25 and 117 were 41-60. A total of 92 clients were children between the ages of 0 and 17. Two clients did not state their age.

PLACE WHERE ABUSE OCCURRED
From a total of 650 reported cases, 576 occurred within the home. This means 89% of the reported cases of abuse happened at home. Nine cases did not state where the abuse occurred.

Analysis on the abuse within the home and relationship with perpetrators demonstrates that 47% of abuse at home is committed in ‘relationships’, meaning husbands, wives, boyfriends, girlfriends etc. Family members and relatives cause 38% of the abuse which occurs at home.

ABUSE AND HIV/AIDS
The HIV status of 650 clients was collected during the counseling process. 20% of the clients were HIV positive, 46% were HIV negative and 4% did not wish to disclose their status. An astonishing 27% of clients did not know their HIV status which demonstrates a need for survivors of abuse to have access to Voluntary Counseling and Testing services.

FINDINGS
•    The cases reported to SWAGAA represent only a proportion of the abuse which is occurring in Swaziland. According the A National Study on Violence against Children and Young Women in Swaziland by UNICEF in 2007, approximately 1 in 3 females have experienced some form of sexual violence as a child. Therefore conclusions can be drawn that there are a significant number of unreported cases. Continued advocacy and awareness needs to be conducted in order to increase reporting.
•    89% of the SWAGAA abuse cases happened within the home and the perpetrators were well known to the survivors. There needs to be an effort to increase safe spaces within Swazi homes and to investigate the role of such cultural practices as Tibi Tendlu (keeping family matters private).