22 June 2020, Mbabane – On 24 June 2020, the Eswatini High Court will hear arguments in the case of Simelane & Others versus Minister of Commerce and Industries & Others.
The case challenges the refusal of Eswatini’s Registrar of Companies to register the organisation Eswatini Sexual and Gender Minorities (ESGM). ESGM and its members argue that the Registrar’s refusal violated ESGM members’ rights to dignity, to associate and express themselves freely, to be treated equally and not to be discriminated against.
ESGM is an organisation which aims to advance the protection of human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) persons in the Kingdom of Eswatini. ESGM assists persons who experience stigma, discrimination and violence as a result of their sexual orientation, gender identity and expression.
ESGM is represented by human rights lawyer, Thulani Maseko and supported by the Southern Africa Litigation Centre (SALC).
For updates on the case, follow ESGM on twitter and instagram @EMminorities #RegisterESGM, #StandUp4HumanRights
See fact sheet on case at: https://eswatiniminorities.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/ESGM-fact-sheet.pdf
ISSUED BY ESWATINI SEXUAL AND GENDER MINORITIES AND THE SOUTHERN AFRICA LITIGATION CENTRE
