New spanking law in the works: report

"If a husband beats a wife it's a crime, but if a parents hits a child who is helpless it's not illegal," social development minister Bathabile Dlamini told the newspaper.

She said parents had to take responsibility and raise their children with proper values to ensure parents "don't end up killing your own children".

Corporal punishment has been outlawed at schools since 2006.

The Sunday Times reported that, under the draft law, parents would be charged with assault if, at home, they used a flat hand on a child's bottom or enacted other forms of corporal punishment.

Source : Sapa/ml/clh