English - African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights

More documents

Recommendations

Info

The wife can only challenge the fraudulent use of the joint property by her husband. I liehusband is the sole guardian of the legitimate and adopted children. Wives have nocapacity to sue or be sued unassisted by their husbands. However, the Married PersonsEquality Bill 2000, is intended to change the position. The main purpose of the Bill isto abolish all the laws and rules in terms of which, a husband acquires the marital powerover the person and property of his wife. The effect of the abolition of the marital poweris to remove all the restrictions, which were placed on the legal capacity of the wife. Thewife will be able to enter into contract, litigate, register property in her name, act as anexecutrix of a deceased estate, act as a trustee of an insolvent estate, etc. The Billintroduces equality of partnership between spouses in the family.The public holidays act of 1967 made the I" of July every year as a family holiday. [heact was repealled by the Public Holidays Act No 7 of 1995, which did away with familyday holiday.The family is recognised as a basic unit of society whose role in society is recognised.The family is entitled to be provided with an environment that assures protection andsupport. Lesotho has, like most other <strong>African</strong> countries, an extended family system.whereby parents, children and other relatives live together.There are two parents and single parent families. In most cases the dislocation of familylife is brought about mainly by the migrant labour system, whereby one of the parents.especially the father. is a migrant worker in the Republic of South Africa or otherneighbouring countries.There are Christian of .aanisations, which protect and support the family institution. TheRespect Life and Fainlly Association of Lesotho (RLFAL) is a catholic association.which was founded in 1993 under the auspices of the Catholic Bishops Conference. TheAssociation's chief objective is the protection of the family. It has trained counsellors.whose duties include education of families towards building better family life. It providespre-marriage counselling to couples, who are preparing to get married.The counsellors organise and hold workshops for people. In 1999 five (5) familyworkshops were held by the association. The topic for the workshops was HIV/AIDS/Alcohol and their effect on the family.The association has a Marriage Encounter Programme, which focusses on theimprovement of family life of married couples. Couples spend a weekend away withtrained counsellors and they reflect upon their relationships, their responsibilities andohlie nunsas regards the equal partnership between spouses, the shared responsibilityin the Lire. raising up of children, the concept of freedom within the family etc. fhesessions are held at least four times a year.
The Motheris Union is an Anglican Society founded in England. It is a society oAnglican women. It has a chapter in Lesotho. It has as its main objective, the protectionof the family institution. It offers pre-marriage counselling, and advises couples on howbest to share family responsibilities. It focusses on the proper upbringing of children. Itruns programmes that promote mutual respect, tolerance and cooperation in the familyand on peaceful solution of family conflicts. Visits are paid to families and in mostinstances invitations are made to the society for counselling purposes.The Assemblies of God and its sister/affiliate churches also has a mother's fellowship,which promotes spiritual and social upliftment of its members, particularly the mothers,children as well as their husbands.Much remains to be done by the government to strengthen and support organisationwhich enhance and recognise the crucial role of the family.1.16 RELIGION:Basotho are predominantly Christian with about 99% indicating some allegiance to theChristian establishment. Out of the 99% about 45% claim to be Catholics, the LesothoEvangelical (the first Christian Church to arrive in Lesotho) and Anglican share theremaining 55%. with Lesotho Evangelical Church boosting a bigger share. There are alsocongregation of Methodist, <strong>African</strong> Methodist Episcopalian, Seventh Day Adventist,independent Pentecostal/born again churches, such as Assemblies of God, Jehovah'sWitnesses, as well as a small Community of the Bahai, and Moslems.1.17 THE GOVERNMENTThe Government is made up of the Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary. Thesethree arms of government are independent of one another, that is to say, they adhere tothe doctrine of separation of powers.The organization of the executive can be broadly put into three disi ot categories: (a)the Monarchy, (b) Elected Officials and (e) Appointed Officials.(a)The MonarchyThe King in Lesotho is appointed by the College of Chiefs according to the customs andtradition of the Basotho According to the customs a successor to the throne should hean elder son of the iciening monarch, if such a successor is deemed not fit to hold thethrone, it will be the nest son of the reigning monarch.
Page 2 and 3: ERRATAThe following spelling errors
Page 4 and 5: Title PageTABLE OF CONTENTSTable of
Page 6: Article 8(Freedom of conscience, re
Page 9 and 10: The Government, i.e the Monarchy, E
Page 11 and 12: Lesotho's newly found democracy did
Page 13 and 14: With all these powerful enemies ( o
Page 15 and 16: Total of estimated population censu
Page 17 and 18: 1.9 BASIC DOCUMENTS ON HUMAN RIGHTS
Page 19 and 20: Now that three years have passed ev
Page 21 and 22: In particular it was pointed out in
Page 23 and 24: participate hi the elections;• el
Page 25 and 26: The Government and Independent Poli
Page 27 and 28: The Department of Social Welfare is
Page 29 and 30: Several children are found abandone
Page 31 and 32: A revision has been made to this re
Page 33: 1.15 STEPS TAKEN TO PROTECT FAMILY
Page 37 and 38: The Council of State is made up of
Page 39 and 40: _--..■■••••Arramr•r",
Page 41 and 42: In accordance with section 4 of the
Page 43 and 44: circumstances of the case-(a)(b)(c)
Page 45 and 46: also increased among children from
Page 47 and 48: of a holistic approach to child hea
Page 49 and 50: of Lesotho Liberation Army, victims
Page 51 and 52: imprisonment;(2) Any Chief or Publi
Page 53 and 54: (1)(2)if a parent or guardian of a
Page 55 and 56: (3) Any person who is arrested or d
Page 57 and 58: ( statistics on such cases have not
Page 59 and 60: and free from interference and subj
Page 61 and 62: admissible in evidence against such
Page 63 and 64: interference, freedom to receive id
Page 65 and 66: Section 7 further empowers the Regi
Page 67 and 68: ARTICLE 12The constitution provides
Page 69 and 70: (i)to perform such other functions
Page 71 and 72: (vi) in consequence of any law with
Page 73 and 74: According to Section 30 of the Cons
Page 75 and 76: 1997 - 2001 UNICEF/GOL programme of
Page 77 and 78: In addition to governmental efforts
Page 79 and 80: This issue is of concern to many NG
Page 81 and 82: oadening of the democratic process
Page 83 and 84: Lesotho is a member of the United N
Page 85 and 86:
in section 33, which provides:With
Page 87 and 88:
Consequently, the government of Les
Page 89 and 90:
adopted an action plan of all the r
Page 91 and 92:
The Courts shall, in the performanc
Page 93:
I esoiho Cabinet Decisions:Cabinet
show all

English - African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?