Anti-Sextortion Coalition Condemns Proposed Sexual Law Amendments
By WFT-T
21 June 2023
The anti-sextortion Coalition has condemned the proposed amendments to the Combating and Preventing of Corruption, Article 25(2) which recommends punishment for victims of sexual corruption, saying it is meant to silence them.
Addressing journalists in Dar es Salaam yesterday, the Coalition’s Chairperson, Prof Ruth Meena, said that from the time the law was enacted in 2007, the Coalition has been collaborating with PCCB in educating the public about sexual corruption through a national campaign known as Vunja Ukimya, Rushwa ya Ngono Inadhalilisha na Inaua (Break the Silence, Sexual Corruption is Degrading and Kills).
Prof Meena added that the activities of the campaign are bearing fruit as victims and community members are now raising their voices and taking legal action against those who commit such acts.
She highlighted that despite the recorded success, and the PCCB efforts to increase accountability for those in authority, PCCB decided to propose changes to article 25 by adding subsection 2 that says. “Any person promises, gives, or offers sexual favour or any other favour to a person who is in position of power or authority, to influence him to exercise his authority in his fovour in giving employment, a promotion, a right, a privilege or any preferred treatment commits an offense and shall be on conviction to a fine of not less than two million shillings but not more than ten million shillings and imprisonment for a term of not less than five(5) years but not exceeding ten (10) years or to both”
Explaining the Coalition’s position, Prof. Meena said that section 25 acknowledges that sexual corruption is when the person in authority abuses his power to demand sex from the one he leads in order to give her the right (promotion, employment, salary increase, leave and other benefits), but the proposal for this change in this important law is meant to protect the authority and convict the purported victim. Also, this article deprives the victim of the right she was given in Article 25 (claw back).
She added that the main effect of this additional clause is to silence the voices of victims who will surely be afraid to testify for fear of being punished.
“As members of the coalition, with one voice, we oppose the addition of this subsection which indicates protecting the authority and convicting the victim, and silencing them from being able to name the perpetrators. The existence of this law will promote abuse of power and will silence the voices of victims in bringing accountability to those responsible".
"Sexual corruption is not sex trade, where two agree to exchange sex for tangible things. Sexual corruption is an abuse of power," emphasized Prof. Meena.
She emphasized that various studies and analyses show that sexual corruption has emerged in areas where the victims are always those without authority, especially women and children, including, in education, health, transportation agencies and domestic workers.
Despite not agreeing with the subsection added to article 25, the Coalition also demands the following;
• Preparations to amend the law should be stopped and the responsible Minister should not adopt the amendments proposed by PCCB as the demands of many stakeholders were not considered in the process.
• Article 25 should remain as it is and subsection 2 should be removed.
• Those involved in this process should listen to the voices of stakeholders to guide the process
• Parliament should not approve these proposals if they are presented to Parliament
The anti-corruption Coalition is a coalition comprising about 200 organizations, which have been running a campaign to raise awareness and educate about the Combating and Preventing of Corruption to prevent and fight corruption and the whole concept of sexual corruption.
