The MPs labelled several measures contained in the Combating of Domestic Violence Bill, introduced by Deputy Justice Minister Albert Kawana, as interference in "bedroom affairs".

"I will fight such a law to death. If he [Kawana] was making a statement of substance that they will enter our bedrooms. I will fight it," said a senior Swapo MP and Trade and Industry Minister Jesaya Nyamu.

Nyamu was backed by Deputy Ministers Hadino Hishongwa and Jeremiah Nambinga who remarked that the Bill was uncalled for.

Kawana said the draft legislation simply sought to give legal authority to the State "to empower it to monitor our bedrooms in cases where a crime of domestic violence is committed".

"It (the Bill) will enable us to protect certain vulnerable individuals from their family members. It seeks legal authority whereby the State will be able to protect wives from husbands, husbands from wives, girlfriends from boyfriends, boyfriends from girlfriends and children from their family members," Kawana said.

Kawana said Government was caught between promoting family life and the delicate balance of protecting family members without destroying family life.

"The Bill is indeed a manifestation of the failure of our religious values, cultural values and family values," the Deputy Minister said.

Kawana said "some men like to patronise bars, get drunk, sleep around with other women without protection and in the process contract HIV, go home and start beating up their partners and infect them with HIV. This is the sad reality of some of our men today. It is even more shameful when these poor women are not only beaten but murdered and even cooked. I regret to say that when some men quarrel with their partners they are heard saying to the women 'I will Florin you'. Namibia is becoming a sick society," he added.

Kawana said current remedies for victims of domestic violence were insufficient, "too costly and cumbersome." He said criminal steps against perpetrators were ineffective because "unfortunately they require to involve the victims. If the victim is not willing to co-operate, there is nothing the State can do."

He said in terms of the new Bill, a "protection order is firstly given on an urgent basis, without the involvement of the perpetrators, as an interim protection order".

In contrast to the past when the complainant had to apply for a protection order, "other persons who have an interest in the well-being of the victim may also apply. Such person can handle further matters pertaining to protection orders on behalf of the victims."

He said such consent was not required from victims who could not help themselves, like children and mentally ill persons.

The Bill also provides for people other than the victim to lay charges on behalf of the victim.

Kawana said handling victims of domestic violence would now also be included in the training manual for Police officers to guide them on handling such cases with sensitivity.

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