Swaziland Denies Miniskirt Ban

Photo: James Hall/IRIN
A majority of children in Swaziland are raised by single mothers or grandmothers, according to women's groups.

Johannesburg — Swaziland has not banned the wearing of miniskirts, government spokesman Percy Simelane said on Thursday.

"Government has not deliberated or taken any position to that effect in recent times or any other time, nor has it ordered the arrest of anyone wearing a mini-skirt," he said.

He said the Section 28 (1,2 & 3) of the National Constitution of the Kingdom of Swaziland (2005) protected the freedom and rights of women in the country such that no custom may be imposed on them in which they were in conscience opposed.

"Any law that is not in the spirit or is not in conformity with the Constitution is void as explicitly stipulated in Section 2 [1]."

He said the process of reviewing all laws that were in conflict with the constitution were continuing.

Swaziland media reported on Monday that the police had banned women from wearing miniskirts and midriff-revealing tops, saying they were provoking rape.

Offenders faced a six-month jail term under the ban, which invoked a colonial criminal act dating back to 1889.

"The act of the rapist is made easy, because it would be easy to remove the half-cloth worn by the women," police spokeswoman Wendy Hleta was quoted as saying in the Independent Online news.

The ban reportedly also applies to low-rise jeans.

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  • ras sideeq
    Dec 28 2012, 10:44

    Should the government decide to ban mini skirts that should not be an issue for South Africa. In these times morality is very important to our young African children. Certainly we do not want immorality or promiscuity???? Whom are these young girls dressing so revealing for? There certainly is no shame on such a ban!!!!!!!!!!. I would think that most of Africa wuld see sense in that!!!! We want educated children!!! not children interested in sex promiscuity ???? This is a cross roads where we find AFRICA ,it is important that we do not allow for our ineterst to be inetertwined with those of the West!!!. The west is trying desperately for us to adapt their dirty immoral indecent iniquitous abominatable damnations!!!!!! AFRICA must repel these thoughts of derision and nastiness!!!; AFRICANS are of a righetouss people and the truth is clear!!!. We must rememebr that our destiny is far removed from the destiny of these imperialist enslavers ... They are now agaqin threatening AFRICA witrh thier subtle invasions trying to frighten africans. I say to SDWAZI people if you want to ban mini9 skirts think on in and do it!!!!!!!!!! OUR CHILDREN THIER THOUGHTS THIER MORALITY IS IMPORTANT FOR AFRICAN FORWARD THINKING!!!!!!! THE CHILDREN ARE OUR FUTURE, WE DO NOT WANT THE YOUTH DISTRACTED WITH BOY FREIND I GIRL FREINDS AND WE CERTAINLY DO NOT WANT TO ADVERTISE PROVACOTIVE BEHAVIOURS.. THERE IS NO SHAME IN MORALITY?????? WHO EVER SUGGESTED THAT WITH PRIDE MORALITY AND PROTECTION OF OUR YOUTH THAT THIS IS A BAD THING????????? PROTECT OUR CHILDREN ; 'RESPONSIBLE THINKING IS IMPORTANT FOR THIER UPBRINGING. BEING A VIRGIN SHOULD BE A VALUED THING!!!!!!THE THOUGHST OF SEX SHOULD EB SO DISTANT SO FAR REMOVED FROM OUR YOUTH!!!! YOUNG LADIES IN AFRICA MUST LEARN TO CARRY THEMSELVES LIKE PRINCESES NOT COMMON LITTLE WHORES OR LEARNED IN PROVACATIVE CHARACTERISTICS. WE DO NOT WANT THOSE TYPES OF YOUNG LADIES FOR OUR FUTURE KINGS. ALL AFRICAN YOUTHS MUST LEARN TO EBA KING WITH HIGH STANDARDS HIGH MORALITY HIGH CHRACTER IN CHOICES OF WOMEN. WE MUST REJKECT THE HARLOT AND THE WHORE WE WANT VIRTUE QUEENS OF THE CONTINENT!!!. THIS WHY WE HATE RAPES WE HATE SODOMY WE HATE IMMORALITY WE HATE ILLITERACY IGNORANCY ANYTHING THAT UNDERMINES THE GREAT CHRACTERS OF OUR YOUNG BLACK CHILDRN SHOULD BE SEEN AS UN AFRICANS. WE ARE ALL DESCENDED FROM THE LINEAGES OF KINGS AND QUEENS WE ARE ROYALTY EACH AND EVERY AFRICAN. WE DESIGNED THE VIRTUES OF HIGH IDEALS CHARCTERISTICS THEREFORE IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT WE REVERT TO THE DICIPLINES OF THE PAST. LTEME SAY TO AFRICA BEFORE THE ADVENT OF THE EUROPEAN AFRICANS WERE VERY CONSCIOUS PEOPLE THEY WERE CONSIOUS OF THIER BELIEF IN THE ONE GOD" THEY BELIVED IN FAMILY THE EXTENDED FAMILIES AND THE UNITY OF THE PEOPLE"THEY WERE A PRNCIPLED PEOPLE', WHERE THEY LIVED FREE OPENLY THEY WERE NOT ASHAMED OF THIER BEING"!!!!!."THEY LIVED LIKE A PEOPLE WITH NOTHING TO HIDE NO MASK NO CLOTHES NO FEAR NO SHAME NO IMMORALITIES NO DECEIT NO CONCEIT VERY TRANSPARENT LIFE, NOT SIMPLE BUT THERE WAS VERY LITTLE INTRIQUE NO HOSTILTIIES CONFLICT COVETIOUSNESS WAS MINOR; ' THEY LIVED AND LOVED NATURE IT OFFERED THE PEOPLE PROTECTION THAT ALLOWED THE PEOPLE TO ENJOY THE LOVE AND FREENES THE PEACE'` "THE ALLMIGHTY" PROVIDED WITH HIS LOVE ; SECUING THE PEOPLES WELL BEING ,REWARDING THEM FOR THIER FAITHFULNESS ... THERE WERE NO RAPES IN THE DAYS OF IMMODESTY; TODAY IS DIFFERNT AND MENS MINDS HAVE BEEN POLLUTED BY FOREIGN IDEOLOGIES THAT ARE UN AFRICAN!! SO WE MUST PROTECT OUR YOIUNG WOMEN FROM EXPLOITATION RAPES AND THE NOW DARKER SIDE OF MANS THOUGHTS !!!!.;' THEY LOVED THE EARTH THEY LIVED WITHIN THE GUIDELINES OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTIVENESS. THEY CONTIUED THE RENEWABLE ENRGY SYSTEM THAT WAS ENTRENCHED IN THE AFRICAN PSYCE. THIS IS WHY THAT EVEN WITH THE DESTRUCFUL WAYS OF THE WEST AND THE DESTRUCTION THEY HAVE BORUGHT TO AFRICA !!; "AFRICA THEE CONTINENT', IS REPAYING THE INHABBITANTS OF THE LAND BY RENEWING ITSELF IN THEIR INTEREST .. "THE INTEREST OF THE AFRICAN PEOPLE IS SHOWING ITSELF NOW WITH THE KNOWLEDGE OF WHAT WERE ONCE BARREN DESOLATE LANDS IS NOW RFLOURISHING REPLENISHING ITSELF WITH ABUNDANCE TO SERVE THE PEOPLE OF AFRICA. "AFRICANS ARE ONE AND PART OF NATURE AND CREATION' WE ARE ALL LINKED INFUSED INTRICATELY TO CREATIONAND ITS HANDI WORKS'; THE AFRICAN KNEW THESE THINGS!!!!!! AFRICANS MUST NOT BE FOILED BY PROOGANDA BY THE BULLIES OF WESTERN GOVERNMENTS WHO ARE FAILING IN EVERYTHING THEY ARF DOING,, "AFRICANS MUST EXERCISE THEIR RIGHTS TO DESIGN OVERSEE THIER OWN DESTINIES' WITH RULES LAWS THAT THEY KNOW TO BE RIGHT JUST AND WILL LEAD THE PEOPLE TO SALVATION!!!! THE WHOLE CAPITALIST ENTERPRISE IS FAILLING COLLAPSING WHY??? " THE 'ENSLAVERS THE PROFITEERS ARE LIVING OFF THE ILGOTTEN PROCEEDS OF SLAVERY EXPLOITATION EXTORTION IMPERIALISM COLONIALISM CORRUPTION BULLYISMS THEFT PIRACY MURDERS PILLAGING LOOTING PLUNDERING !! ALL THESE THINGS ARE COMMING TO AN END!!!!! THEIR NEGATIVITY THIER DISTASTEFUL EMPIRE IS COMMING DOWN AROUND THEM'. THIER NUCLEAR BOMBS ARE USELESS "THIER IDEOLOGIES OF WHITE SUPREMACY' IS FLAWED AND AND NOT APPLICABLE TO THE EARTH NATURE WHICH HAS ITS OWN DESIGNS THAT ARE MUCH MORE POWERFUL THAN ANYTHING THE WEST CAN DEVELOP. THEY HAVE TAKEN A STAND OF BEING ANTI NATURE HEAPING DESTRUCTION UPON THE EARTH BUT THE EARTH IS AWARE OF THESE THINGS AND COMBATS IT IN MANY WAYS. "WE MUST SUPPORT NATURE THE POWRFUL FORCES THAT WE KNOW TO BE TRUE ALL THINGS ARE EQUAL THERE ARE NO SUPERIOR MEN OR ANY MAN GODS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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