Traditional laws and customs to be codified

Women's rights groups in Swaziland have warned that moves to codify traditional laws and customs could undermine gender equality gains achieved in the recently promulgated constitution. "We welcome the writing down of Swazi customs to avoid confusion, [but] we feel that if these become codes they will take precedence over gains made by women in the constitution in the field of equal rights," a source at the Swaziland branch of Women in Law in Southern Africa (WLSA) told IRIN. After years of protracted deliberations, Swazi women were finally afforded equal rights in the constitution, which now reserves one-third of parliamentary seats for them. However, gender advocacy groups were wary about efforts to formalise traditional customs, as progress towards giving women a greater say in public life could inadvertently be reversed. Prince Mangaliso Dlamini, who chaired the Constitutional Review Commission, has allayed some of these fears, saying the process was intended to benefit all citizens. The constitution states that "a woman shall not be compelled to undergo or uphold any custom to which she is in conscience opposed". Mangaliso is expected to head the body overseeing the codification of traditional laws and customs, and plans to travel around the country to establish a consensus on what constitutes Swazi traditional law - other than some observations in anthropological works, customs have not been written down, resulting in a wealth of interpretation and much confusion. Swaziland's highest traditional authority, the governor of Ludzidzini royal village, hosts a popular radio show that answers questions on customary issues such as marriage, the family, and local governance. Some traditional matters, like the appointment of the king and chiefs, are covered in the constitution. King Mswati has emphasised the importance of having Swazi customs written down to eliminate misinterpretation.