South Africa: Traditional bill ‘dead in the water’

Most of the provinces either rejected the Traditional Bill or asked for massive changes. In what can be described as a victory for rural women, who have waged war against the bill since it was tabled in 2008, the department of justice will have to go back to the drawing board.

Rural women’s organisations have fought against the bill, mainly because of its reliance on the restoration of apartheid-era homelands and its empowerment of a deeply patriarchal system of chieftainship.

This June, the select committee met in Parliament and admitted that they did not deal with the public submissions they received. They also conceded that the public hearings held thus far were insufficient and that more were needed.

The select committee received 57 submissions – all vehemently opposed to the bill becoming law. The committee asked for a postponement, probably until December next year.   Click here to read more

Source: CityPress