SODV cases double at Mbabane court

MBABANE – The number of sexual offences and domestic violence (SODV) cases has doubled at the Mbabane Magistrates Court, casting doubt on whether the battle is being won or lost.

A total of 114 cases were recorded in three months, April, May and June this year, while a total of 47 cases were recorded within the same period last year.

The cases that were heard in the court were perpetrated by accused persons of all genders, irrespective of background, occupation or standard of education.

Some of the most recent cases this year include a medical doctor, who was found guilty of assaulting his wife; a soldier who is still awaiting trial for allegedly molesting a boy during cultural festivities; and an expatriate woman from the Philippines who allegedly sexually abused her own son.

Prohibits

The SODV Act prohibits cases that include rape, abuse, assault, assault with grievous bodily harm and sexual assault.

Statistics gathered from the Mbabane Magistrates Court indicate that there were 45 cases recorded in April this year, while there were nine recorded in the same period last year.

In May this year, there were 33 cases recorded, while 21 were recorded in the same period last year. The statistics also revealed that in June this year, there were 36 SODV cases recorded, while 14 were recorded last year.

From the court records, most of the recorded SODV cases were perpetrated by males. A total of 84 males were recorded, while the number of females was 20.

The SODV Act was introduced in 2018, to control the increase in sexual offences and domestic violence. It aims to prevent such cases and guarantees the protection of all persons from harm, based on sexual acts and to provide for matters incidental thereto.

Swatini Action Group Against Abuse (SWAGAA) Communications Officer Sakhile Dlamini, said the increasing cases of SODV have a positive spin to it, as it implied that people are now aware of such cases and are reporting them.

Dlamini said the Act could not be the only tool used to eradicate SODV, but has to be complemented by other pieces of legislation, including the involvement of organisations and individuals.

Additionally, she said government should declare SODV as a national emergency.

She encouraged people to report such cases, so that the perpetrator could be brought to book, since violence is a cycle.

The Director of Social Welfare at the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office (DPMO), Mcusi Shongwe, said people have mental issues, some of which lead to the rise in SODV cases.

Condone

Shongwe said they do not condone SODV, especially against children.

He said his office provided counselling through social workers and collaborated with the police and SWAGAA, to eradicate these offences.

Shongwe explained that they rendered continuous education to people, capacitating them to report to either the police or Social Welfare offices whenever they come across such cases.

He highlighted that they also had a radio programme every Thursday, where they discuss all social issues and preventative measures, to address these issues.

On the same note, the Prime Minister’s (PM) Office Portfolio Committee Chairperson, Mntfongwaneni Member of Parliament (MP) Nathi Hlophe, said those who had been found to have violated the SODV Act should be arrested.

Hlophe said there was a need to put more effort into capacitating communities about the right way to bring up children.

He stated that the culture of living in harmony should be a slogan embraced by all and that all genders must learn to live in harmony

Hlophe mentioned that arresting a perpetrator should not be the primary solution in eradicating such issues, but developing a culture of being around each other, without perceiving the other as an object.

Furthermore, a male SODV survivor said most men experienced such cases, but were afraid to report them, since SODV among males is viewed as humiliating. He said cases of males being abused or assaulted by their partners were on the rise, but not taken seriously by most law enforcers.

The survivor suggested that tough punishment should be meted out on the offenders and follow-ups should be made on the arrests. He further said all such cases should be publicised to shame the offenders.

It has also been reported recently that most incidents of abuse are swept under the carpet in families and not reported to the police.

Most homes in rural areas are not educated on SODV, rendering the act ineffective. Rural homes in areas like Sinyamantulwa at Lubuli have a number of cases where young girls are married before reaching the consenting age of 18.

Drivers of such cases have been outlined as poverty and lack of education.