VICE-President Emmerson Mnangagwa yesterday said moves to align all marriage laws with the Constitution in line with the Sadc model law on eradicating child marriages, are at an advanced stage.
By senior reporter
Mnangagwa made the announcement in the Senate while replying to a motion by Matabeleland South Senator Tambudzani Mohadi (Zanu PF) calling on Zimbabwe to domesticate the Sadc model law in order to craft laws to ensure children are protected.
“We are already working on a Bill which will align all marriage laws and progressive provisions suggested in the Sadc model law will be incorporated,” Mnangagwa said.
“The proposed Bill will be able to amend the Marriages Act and Customary Marriages Act and all outdated laws relating to marriages.”
He said the Bill would remove contradictions in statutes where the age of sexual consent is 16 years and yet the age allowable by law for one to get married is 18 years.
“We will look at the issue of consent between juveniles and adults, and between juvenile to juvenile, and have set up a committee to look at that. The issue of age of consent will come to Parliament for debate so that we bring the issue of consent to 18 years,” Mnangagwa said.
Senators told sad stories of under-age girls involved in child prostitution and early child marriages. They said Mnangagwa should ensure laws are harmonised as soon as possible so as to arrest parents who marry off under-age children for monetary gain.
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Midlands Senator Lillian Timveos (MDC-T) described how she witnessed young girls aged around 12 years engaging in prostitution in Zvishavane.
“In Zvishavane where I live I was shocked to see more than 20 girls living in one house that are sex workers, and I hope this law will assist us to defend the girl child and ensure parents marrying off girls at a tender age are arrested,” Timveos said.
Mashonaland Central Senator Monica Mavhunga (Zanu PF) said hunger and poverty were forcing girls into early child marriages.
But, Matabeleland South Senator Sithembile Mlotshwa (MDC-T) said it was actually bumper harvests that fuelled early child marriages.
“When men are hungry they do not think of sex, but it is when there is a bumper harvest that they want to marry many wives. I think the issue of sentences for rape must be revised because you find a man that has raped his daughter getting a community service sentence. There are also some mothers who marry off young girls and they put okra on the girls’ private parts to enable the man to penetrate, and those women must be given very stiff sentences,” Mlotshwa said.
Senator representing people living with disabilities Annah Shiri urged government to deal decisively with men who rape girls living with disabilities and albinism.
