swaziland times

LOBAMBA – Some senators have called for a DNA test to be made mandatory before anyone is asked to pay child support through the Department of Social Welfare.

Lawmakers believe the measure is crucial to preventing cases where individuals are unfairly forced to raise non-biological children, and could also help reduce cases of gender-based violence related to disputes over the paternity of a child. The senators argued that by ensuring child support is based on verified parentage, the measure could bring fairness to the system and address underlying conflicts that lead to gender-based violence. Besides, they also criticised the Department of Social Welfare, accusing it of favouring one side in custody cases instead of being impartial, thereby facilitating gender-based violence. This was revealed yesterday when the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office (DPMO) presented its performance report for the first quarter of the 2024/25 financial year to the Senate Portfolio Committee.

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DNA paternity testing uses deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), usually taken from a cheek swab, to determine the biological father of a child or to prove that people are related. Senator Mwembi Matse expressed concern in his submission, saying the killings in the country were not over. Matse said reports of domestic violence were surging. He explained that in the 11th Parliament, they discussed the matter saying that the Social Welfare Department was allegedly condoning lovers’ killings. According to Matse, when someone comes to report a maintenance case, the social welfare officers allegedly criticise the person and do not deal with the reported case.

He said that in some cases, men tend to raise children from birth, but years later, they find out that the child is not theirs. “They are reported to the social welfare department and forced to pay child support. Even wives can be in this situation. You live with her but some children are not yours and you don’t know about it. We need to see how we can solve this problem where a person finds himself raising a child that is not his,” said Matse, who claimed that cases of gender-based violence have increased since the establishment of the social welfare department.

Matse claimed that female officials in the office usually sided with female complainants and ensured that the men paid the compensation. He added that the government should find ways to facilitate free compulsory paternity testing to prevent people from raising children that are not their own. He said some people may want to do paternity testing but they cannot afford it, so government intervention is needed.

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He went on to say that free paternity testing for everyone would reduce the number of people raising children who are not their own. The senator mentioned that if these fundamental problems in the country are not addressed, killings between people will not only not stop, but will increase. “In my area, nine people experienced the challenges of raising a non-biological child in 2022 during the pandemic. “Right now we’re talking about these cases where Homestead misrepresentations need to be cleared up,” he said.

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Likewise, the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee, Senator Mphatfwa, said these social ills are a thorny issue as they have noticed that they have been persisting.
Chief Mphatfwa blamed the Department of Social Welfare, claiming that the department was seen as the root cause of gender-based violence. “In some cases, you will find three fathers paying maintenance for the same child and the mother collects the money without any problem. We understand that unemployment is high but we should not create jobs through unconventional means which will increase gender-based violence,” Chief Mpatefwa said.

He urged the public affairs office to make DNA testing mandatory once someone reports non-payment of child support. He said both parents should pay for the test so they can provide proof to the department before paying. The Chairperson mentioned that this could help minimise the possibility of paying for a child that is not one’s own. Conversely, Senator Princess Ntfombiyenkhosi briefly stated that even if one could prove that one had been raising someone else’s child, it would not justify killing someone.

Senator Isaac Magura said the country has reached crisis proportions with the brutal killings of women. Magura said a strong and radical intervention is needed. He also called for a structured, organized conference on gender-based violence to discuss its causes. He went on to suggest that the DPMO should go back to the ‘Strategy to End Gender-Based Violence’ and not leave it open, but focus on specific cases of gender-based violence.

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The senator called for special treatment of gender-based violence cases in different courts. “The office should work with the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs to see if they can set up special courts for these GBV cases,” Magagula said. Senator Chief Gekoma also called for community dialogue on GBV. Chief Gekoma said it was painful to read reports in newspapers about people being killed every day. He explained that community people need to be engaged and further empowered to address gender-based violence. Chief Gekoma added that he urged the Office of Public Affairs Management to launch a sensitization campaign so as to find a solution to the scourge.

Senate President Lindiwe Dlamini said there was a need to come up with solutions to the challenge. The Senate President said solutions would be found through engagement with the community. Responding to the comments, Acting Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Tourism and Environmental Affairs Jane Simelane thanked the senators for their comments and suggestions. Simelane said gender-based violence is a problem in the country and its root causes need to be addressed. Simelane said they will take on board the submissions made by the senators and work with the assistance of chiefs and communities.

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She said they have started visiting communities to sensitize people about gender-based violence. She also assured the senators that the office would provide written responses to their comments. According to a recent report submitted to Parliament by the Deputy Prime Minister, during the reporting period (April to June 2024), 180 maintenance cases were referred to the local courts due to arrears of maintenance, failure to attend mediation meetings or the parties failing to agree on the amount of maintenance payable, and 283 cases are awaiting final hearing.
Compared to the data in the first quarter performance report from April to June 2023, a total of 1,232 cases were reported, while a total of 1,206 cases were reported in the current quarter from April to June 2024, which is a decrease.