While male homosexuality is criminal in Swaziland, it turns out there has never been any legislation that criminalises lesbian relationships in the country. According to annual research reports, ‘A World Survey of Laws’ compiled by the International Lesbian Gay Bisexual Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA), female same-sex relationships have always been ‘legal’ in Swaziland while male same-sex relationships have and still remain illegal, in that sodomy is a common law crime in the kingdom.

Asked yesterday on government’s position on the legality of lesbian relationships as claimed by the reports, Spokesperson Percy Simelane said; “We have made our position clear on these fictitious reports more than once before and are not going to repeat ourselves save to say that someone needs a doctor urgently”.

Last year, Simelane said the state was closely monitoring the situation with a view to take a legal position. He had said gays and lesbians were regulated by the nation’s moral obligations and biblical values, and that as soon as a legal position had been taken, government would make it public. Read More