{"id":1956,"date":"2021-04-29T11:21:49","date_gmt":"2021-04-29T09:21:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lac.org.na\/?p=1956"},"modified":"2021-04-29T11:21:49","modified_gmt":"2021-04-29T09:21:49","slug":"probono-on-immoral-practices","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lac.org.na\/index.php\/2021\/04\/29\/probono-on-immoral-practices\/","title":{"rendered":"ProBono on Immoral Practices"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Combating of Immoral Practices Act 21 of 1980<\/strong><\/a> is a law that is much misunderstood. Many have called for it to be repealed, wrongly believing that it criminalises homosexuality in some way. But this is not the case.
\nSo, what does this outdated \u201cSouth West African\u201d statute inherited by Namibia at independence actually cover?
\nBefore reviewing the Act\u2019s provisions, let us note at the outset that it uses a number of undefined terms that could cover homosexual acts (\u201csexual act\u201d, \u201cimmoral act\u201d and \u201cproposals\u2026 for immoral purposes\u201d). The Act defines only the term \u201cunlawful carnal intercourse\u201d which is \u201ccarnal [sexual] intercourse between persons who are not married\u201d. As one High Court case has suggested, this phrase could cover all \u201csexual interaction\u201d between persons who are not married to each other \u2013 but it is generally understood to refer primarily to sexual intercourse outside marriage.
\nHowever, the law does not forbid any sexual acts in general \u2013 it forbids certain sexual conduct only in the context of sex work, public sexual displays, abuse of children under age 16 or various other kinds of exploitation.
\nMost of the statute is concerned with various offences related to sex work. The statute does not criminalise the actual act of prostitution (engaging in sex for reward). Instead, it criminalises a number of surrounding activities. The acts which are criminalised by the statute are primarily public manifestations of sex work (such as public solicitation) or actions by third parties, particularly \u201cpimps\u201d and brothel-owners.
\nFor instance, it is illegal under the Act to solicit or \u201cmake any proposals to any other person for immoral purposes\u201d in a public street or place or to exhibit oneself in an indecent dress or manner in public. This law also makes it illegal to commit \u201cany immoral act\u201d with another person in public \u2013 but not in private.
\nThis law makes it illegal to keep a brothel, to \u201cprocure\u201d any female to have \u201cunlawful carnal intercourse\u201d with another person, to become a prostitute, or to join a brothel. It is also an offence to entice (bribe or persuade) a female to a brothel for the purpose of prostitution, to conceal (hide) a female who has been enticed to a brothel, to detain a female against her will in a brothel, or to otherwise detain a female for the purposes of unlawful carnal intercourse with a male. More directly, the law makes it illegal to assist in bringing about \u201cthe commission by any person of any immoral act with another person\u201d, or to receive any money for the commission of such an act.
\nA brothel is defined as \u201cany house or place kept or used for purposes of prostitution. (The definition was once wider, but it was narrowed by Namibia\u2019s High Court in the 2002 Hendricks\u00a0 \u00a0workers, without actually being applied to prevent or restrain sex work. It simply keeps sex work of all kinds in the shadows. So the law certainly has some problems, but its provisions do not specifically target members of the gay and lesbian community in any way.
\nThe key law of concern for the gay community is not this statute, but the common law provisions that criminalise sodomy and so-called \u201cunnatural sex acts\u201d between consenting male adults. (Common law crimes are crimes that have developed through successive court cases instead of being defined by statutes enacted by Parliament. Many crimes \u2013 such as murder and assault \u2013 are common law crimes.)
\nThere is no common law or statute law criminalising any sexual act that takes place between consenting adult women in private. Only sexual acts between men are criminalised, as sodomy or \u201cunnatural sex acts\u201d.
\nThe calls from gay and lesbian activists for the repeal of the Combating of Immoral Practices Act thus seem misplaced. The top priority for repeals should be the common-law crimes on sodomy and unnatural sexual acts.
\nNamibia\u2019s stance on sex work warrants reconsideration, but whatever general approach is decided on, Namibia will always need legal mechanisms to protect underage boys and girls and persons with mental disabilities against sexual abuse and coercion into sex work. Adult men and women will also need protection against exploitation by pimps, and against being drugged or detained for purposes of sex, no matter how sex work is regulated.
\nSo calling for the repeal of the Combating of Immoral Practices Act is not a sensible way forward. If that statute were to be repealed, at least some of it would need to be replaced with more well-crafted and gender-neutral protections against various sexual abuses.<\/p>\n

1 Hendricks & Others v Attorney General, Namibia & Others 2002 NR 353 (HC). This case also struck down some<\/span>
\npresumptions in the Act relating to brothels.<\/span>
\n2 Fantasy Enterprises CC t\/a Hustler The Shop v Minister of Home Affairs & Another; Nasilowski & Another v<\/span>
\nMinister of Justice & Others 1998 NR 96 (HC)<\/span><\/p>\n

This article was made possible by support from
\nthe Hanns Seidel Foundation.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Combating of Immoral Practices Act 21 of 1980 is a law that is much misunderstood. Many have called for it to be repealed, wrongly believing that it criminalises homosexuality in some way. But this is not the case. So, what does this outdated \u201cSouth West African\u201d statute inherited by Namibia at independence actually cover? […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1956","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-probono"],"featured_image_src":{"landsacpe":false,"list":false,"medium":false,"full":false},"yoast_head":"\nProBono on Immoral Practices - Legal Assistance Centre<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Combating of Immoral Practices Act 21 of 1980 is a law that is much misunderstood. 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