Tempers flare in NA over rape

DEPUTY Minister of Prisons and Correctional Services Jeremiah Nambinga soured a National Assembly debate on the African Charter on the Rights of Women on Wednesday by insisting that there was no such thing as forced sex within marriage.

“There is nothing like raping your wife or husband or forcing him or her to have sex in as far as our customary laws are concerned. It never happened.Therefore such references are completely foreign and should not form part of our laws,” he said, pushing Minister of Women Affairs and Child Welfare Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah to the limit.Nambinga’s chauvinistic views on the sexual relationship of spouses caused Nandi-Ndaitwah to jump up out of her seat and raise her voice as she elaborated on an instance of rape within marriage.”What do you call a man having sex with his wife on the floor and then getting into bed and leaving her there, and then later getting out of bed and doing it again?” she snapped.Up until that time, three female parliamentarians had taken to the floor in support of ratifying the protocol and highlighting forms of abuse and discrimination women still faced in Namibia because of their gender.Despite Nandi-Ndaitwah’s tongue-lashing, Nambinga persisted in claiming that it was not “automatic” that both spouses would want to have sex at the same time, irking her even further.Unlike on other occasions when the same topic has been discussed in the House, Nambinga failed to get support from his male colleagues.”You have made the same argument before.Do you really think you are pursuing a worthwhile cause? It is unfortunate if you think you are,” said Mines and Energy Minister Nickey Iyambo.After Deputy Minister of Higher Education Buddy Wentworth had given a lengthy example about the “sanctity of the bedroom”, he concluded by asking Nambinga: “Do you not think there should be provisions for exceptional situations?” Basic Education Minister John Mutorwa also joined the fray telling Nambinga that previous discussions had concluded that rape within marriage was indeed possible but that proving it was the dilemma.Eventually it was left to the Speaker Mose Tjitendero to admonish the House.He told contributors to the debate that its aim was to restore the dignity of women and that they should focus their arguments on making laws in the interest of the nation.It never happened.Therefore such references are completely foreign and should not form part of our laws,” he said, pushing Minister of Women Affairs and Child Welfare Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah to the limit.Nambinga’s chauvinistic views on the sexual relationship of spouses caused Nandi-Ndaitwah to jump up out of her seat and raise her voice as she elaborated on an instance of rape within marriage.”What do you call a man having sex with his wife on the floor and then getting into bed and leaving her there, and then later getting out of bed and doing it again?” she snapped.Up until that time, three female parliamentarians had taken to the floor in support of ratifying the protocol and highlighting forms of abuse and discrimination women still faced in Namibia because of their gender.Despite Nandi-Ndaitwah’s tongue-lashing, Nambinga persisted in claiming that it was not “automatic” that both spouses would want to have sex at the same time, irking her even further.Unlike on other occasions when the same topic has been discussed in the House, Nambinga failed to get support from his male colleagues.”You have made the same argument before.Do you really think you are pursuing a worthwhile cause? It is unfortunate if you think you are,” said Mines and Energy Minister Nickey Iyambo.After Deputy Minister of Higher Education Buddy Wentworth had given a lengthy example about the “sanctity of the bedroom”, he concluded by asking Nambinga: “Do you not think there should be provisions for exceptional situations?” Basic Education Minister John Mutorwa also joined the fray telling Nambinga that previous discussions had concluded that rape within marriage was indeed possible but that proving it was the dilemma.Eventually it was left to the Speaker Mose Tjitendero to admonish the House.He told contributors to the debate that its aim was to restore the dignity of women and that they should focus their arguments on making laws in the interest of the nation.