MANY girls between the ages of 12 and 17 in Gokwe-Nembudziya are dropping out of school and forced into early marriages due to poverty and hunger, local MP Justice Mayor Wadyajena heard over the weekend.
BY MOSES MATENGA
Wadyajena was briefed by traditional leaders and council officials in the area of severe hunger forcing girls into early marriage.
District administrator Fortune Mupungu told the MP and his delegation that hundreds of children had dropped out of school as parents were failing to pay their school fees.
The parents blamed the situation on low cotton prices and failure by the Grain Marketing Board to pay them for maize delivered.
“Twelve to 17-year-old children are married here in Gokwe North and (school) dropouts are many because of early marriages hence education is going down here,” Mupungu said.
Chief Nembudziya also blamed poverty and hunger for rampant child marriages.
The revelations came as a serious debate was raging in the country following Prosecutor-General Johannes Tomana’s alleged statement that 12-year-old girls could consent to sex. Tomana has since argued his statement was twisted by people with politically-motivated agendas.
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Wadyajena told Chief Nembudziya and other locals to come up with stern measures to deal with people marrying under-age girls.
“If you hear that 12-year-olds are being married, those people should pay 10 cattle and have that person arrested. It is an issue that needs to be looked into thoroughly. I heard the President (Robert Mugabe) say by all means, government should make sure no girl should be married before the age of 18 ” he said.
