LOBAMBA:Colani Hlatjwako, the Coordinator for One Billion Rising Campaign has urged Parliament to ensure that the proposed Marriage Bill of 2022 guarded against abuse of power by Chiefs or those acting on their behalf.
On Tuesday,ten(10)civil society organizations who are championing women’s rights and sexual reproductive health issues in Eswatini made submissions to the House of Assembly on amendments to the proposed Marriage Bill of 2022 and the Matrimonial Property Bill of 2022.
As part of the submissions, civil society organizations urged Parliament to ensure that the role of Chiefs, Indvuna or authorized officer by the Chief who may be appointed as Marriage Officers according to the Marriage Bill should be clearly stipulated, freely and fairly exercised.
Hlatjwako who was speaking on behalf of the organizations said their role or decisions should not be influenced or hindered by how people participated in the community activities (kuhlehla).
“It should be clearly stipulated on the guidelines that the marriage officers under Swazi Customary Marriage are not influenced or hindered by how the aspiring groom participated in community activities. It should be a free and fair exercise",said the One Billion Rising Coordinator.
The women rights organizations further proposed that cohabitation should be for an unmarried man and unmarried woman living together as husband and wife for six months and more.
“The proposed period of 3years is too long, considering that in a period of less than 3 years a lot of assets can be accumulated", she said.
A number of recommendations were submitted touching on different sections of the Bills which include Recognised Marriages, Void and Voidable Marriages, sections on equal rights to consortium, conversion of marriage, just to mention a few.
The organizations that made the submissions include One Billion Rising Eswatini,Safaids,Kwakha Indvodza,
Women Unlimited and the Coordinating Assembly of Non Governmental Organizations(CANGO).
Other organizations include the Swaziland National Association of Teachers(SNAT) Lulote, Eswatini Sexual and Gender Minorities, the Swaziland Network of Young Positives, the Journey of Hope for Girls and Women Eswatini, and the Swaziland Justice and Peace Institute.
Women rights organizations made submissions in Parliament on proposed Marriage Act.