Government says parents marrying off their school-going children should be prosecuted and charged.
Foreign Affairs Minister Kabinga Pande said parents should understand that marrying off their school girl children is not a blessing but a case.
Responding to lunga High School Head Teacher Roderick Mwansapa who expressed concern at the high rate of girl-child drop out due to early marriages, Mr. pande advised school teachers in his constituency to bring to his attention any case where a parent marries off a school going girl child.
Speaking Lunga High school which is under construction in kasempa  yesterday ,Mr. pande said there is need to protect the girl child so that they too could complete their education without disturbances.
The kasempa MP noted that parents marrying off their girl child at a tender age should be punished so that the trend is put to a halt.
Lunga high school head teacher Rodrick Mwanaspa and science teacher Euphrasia Mwila told mr pande that parents in the area claim that marrying off girl child was a blessing.
The two teachers said the trend was rampant two years ago before the only science teacher ,Ms mwila came to the school and introduced the safe club for the protection of the girl child.
At shependa basic school, head teacher Henry Kayombo also complained of the high drop out rate for girls due to early marriages.
Mr Kayombo  said the girl child in the area  still think getting married is then spending time learning in school .
He complained that parents were not doing much to help their girl child get educated.
The story was the same at Kantenba basic school where the Deputy Head teacher Brighton Mutoya going children expressed concern at the high drop out rate of the girl child.
Mr pande is in kasempa district to check on developmental projects embarked on by government and its cooperating partners.
He was acompained on tour of the projects by the district commissioner Henry Shantolo and other Heads of Departments.
ENDS CBM/AH/PK/ZANIS/KASEMPA
i think the next president should build more prisons than hospitals.I feel like there are more people breaking the law in zambia than there are sick ones.How can someone marry a doughter at te expense of education?
Prosecute them. Children cannot be encouraged to start having other children before they are ready.
All this is due to RB marrying his grand daughter wife.
Most of my friends were married off at tender ages and I only know of one who is still married. Others are other divorced, widowed or dead. Thank God I am very well financially and, of course, still alive and able to help my parents a lot. I am not boasting, but it hurts me to see that many of my friends’ children are being encouraged to marry early also. I believe parents & kids should first be educated about the disadvantages of early marriages and that it is a crime because some of them do not know any better. If the parents do not follow the instructions they should be sent to police cells for a couple of days for a ‘refresher’ course!! JKC
ALL THESE EARLY MARRIAGES ARE CAUSED BY THE GORV POOR MANAGEMENT, POVERTY. MAGINALISATION. MULEYANGAL NESALA IMWE AI. BA KABINGA TAMWALALAPO NA NSALA.. IMPROVE THE WAY OF LIVING AMONG THE POOR THEN UKUFYA BWANGU KUKAPWA..
The only solution to this problem is jail time.
#4 mugulisa ka america? danny yakumbuyo said so.
Pande sir pleaze don’t just criticize offer these desperate parents and young girls help it’s poverty in most cases.
I’m against early marriages.
My 19 years old niece is pregnant and almost married the guy who pregnanted her. But I have stepped in I’m gonna support the baby 100% and told my niece to stop seeing the guy and continue with her education. She was screened for HIV and thank godness she is HIV negative. She is 9 months pregnant now and still goes to school.
marrying off young girls is despicable but some underlying issues here are poverty and ignorance. The parents need to be re-educated on this issue
Sad news, but according to my understanding anyone who is over 16 years of age can be married even if they are/wer in school depending on their choice.
#10 you are right.They should start byu changing the laws rather than just yapping.Thats why nothing gets done in the end because in Zambia some people talk before they think rather than the other way round
#11, thanks for takiing note of the sense in my posting. We seem to have a lot of characters who either do nothing in Parliament or a bent on deceiveing the illiterate.
I am very dissappointed by the dicision the govt. is udertaking on this issue. Where do they start from in the first place? First , inact it as law to prosecute such people.Set the minimum age like 19yrs.Let the people look at it as crime not as a civil case.In America sex with a girl under 18 is a crime and drinking beer under the age of 21 is illegal they go in including the person who sold or bought for the minor.let it be law so that they break it and get prosecuted for that.
I concur with # 1.The Govt should just go ahead and enact a law, let it be a crime not civil case. Mere talking about it and maintaining those statistics will not help the nation in any way.Our rural community is the worst culprit.We need some serious education in this line.HON. Pande start it yourself through parliament instead of just talking about it when you visit your electorates.
how old was eve in the garden in the garden of eden? we don’t know? mary was 12 years when he had Jesus? whats wrong with you people
#15 Banda, you are insane no wonder RB is married to a woman less than half of his age, what do you expect from a man of this kind.I remember in Jan 2008, I was in Livingstone on holiday with my family to see the Victoria falls and wild animals as well as part of my reseach in mental health & HIV. Girls as young as 13yrs drinking and going out with men more than their parents.It is sad and an eye sore for our future generation.I spoke with few girls the answers were poverty, family break ups , lack of employment and not having parents due to untimely death.People like Banda were even saying mwana wamuzakho ni dhiyo especially the beach front near Zambezi river worse. My wife even cried.
Our GOVT HAS NO POLICY OVER THIS OR CONTIGENT PLANS. PEOPLE STREET KIDS IS OUR PROBLEM FOR THE FUTURE. CHURCHES HAVE TRIED BUT THE GOVT IS SLOW TO HELP.
Early marriages depend where you are. In ZAMBIA There is no good visioned youth support programmes in place. POVERTY is another issue and indicator.. YOU FIND A FAMILY WHICH CAN NOT SUPPORT 8 TO 9 CHILDREN, WHAT DO THEY RESORT TO? BETTER MARRY THEM OFF BEFORE THEY BECOME HIV+VE AND JUVENILLE PREGNANCIES statistics If you can not manage. Any one to help?
#12 Pls remove the tag at the end of ur name. I think it’s unnecessary…
#19 what an observant
I did that anonymous was a lady, i enjoy reading her comments, keep it up, if you are cute may be we can start a family .
everthing that happens has the source and to stop that, first find the source.
GRZ. AKA Boma. has enough Policies to make Zed a beta place. But none of their policies are implemanted. as long as we have this current crop of leaders things will never change. we talk and talk and talk and not do anything, how many projected have they told they ar doing? & how many have been completed?? i can go on and on till my finger start hurting from typing
the only solution to early marriages is to maken sound economic policies that will reduce poverty. RB is married to a young girl and you expect him to stop early marriages, no way pipo cant listen to him coz he is a culprit also. SATA for President
All those who waste their energy talking about RB´s marriage should let go. the woman is not a child after all she is now in her 30s. you are behaving like he took away your woman. a child we should be concerned about is anyone below 21 geting married. spare the bally am sure they are happy together thats all that matters.
Ba pande mp 4 kasempa.If a family can spend $1 a day 4 there meals. How do u expect someone to support nine children to get in school and college. Look at our economy very poor. The ministers and MP’s are the one enjoying life. Is it fair,. I was very surprised to see zambia map among the poorest countries in africa.When someone presented the italian news paper to me. Muposeko amano in helping the zambian pipo. It is good u have talked about an important issue of which everyone will support u. But u have to realize the situation of poverty in zambia.
Mayo maureen, what u have just said is correct. Look u are in europe and am too. Our sisters in zambia are getting married at there young stage not their just want to, but because there parents cannot afford school fees and like. And talking about the wife of RB it’s not important. The wife is old enough 4 him. Those are saying nonsense about this the privat life RB, let them think b4 they say anything.
It is very worring to see young girls drop from school for mariage. Not always do I blame parents also there are certain girls who are always up to their feet wanting to test it , again some parents are always soft on the children to an extent where the child controls the parents instead of vise versa. Its a pity cause poverty is also in our midist to an extent where is also takes control on people or a nation at its large.
Early Marriages are also aproblem, these are the girls who suffer in future when they are divorced because they will have nowhere to start life from. Govt should put strict measures to the culprits.
Condemning early marriages is one thing, soing something tangible about it is another. What exactly is govt doing about it? Avoid rhetoric and be action-oriented please. A lot of young boys and girls find themselves in ‘marriageable situations’ because of govt failure to provide the necessary environment for child development. Primary education is ‘free’ now. Many parents were not even able to pay school fees for primary school children. Do you think they would be able to pay high secondary school fees for their kids! Govt must introduce systems which are sustainable. if the trend conditnues, we will end up with so many grade seven ‘graduates’ who will not be good for anything but marriage.
God help us. Give us a leader full of wisdom. Most of them are just good at talking.
RB should also be arrested 4 marrying a small girl, what kind of a President are we going to have? that girl is not fit to be a first lady, childish manners. shame on u Mr Acting President.
early marriages umm`i got married @18 in denmark.my husband was 30 by then.am now 24 and i have a beautiful boy.i have never had problems or what so ever.i think people who mature and strong enough can be able to do what they want.
THEY SHOULD BAN PREMARITAL SEX LIKE THE SWAZI’Z,FIRST OF ALL
I’m sorry.
Mr Pande do u know why some parents are marrying off there children at that age? People don’t just support some statements, PROSECUTE THEM PROSECUTE THEM, Pande moves in a benz, his children sleeps on beds, with tvs in their b/room. BF on the table everyday. Can he think of marrying off his kids. Most of those parents are doing that because of poverty, let the gov provide them with unforms, books, teachers and food for the family then they can put the act of prosecution. You try and do a research on such topics then you will understand. Let Pande fund that research.
Yet again these children of now days are too advanced and willing to get married.
Sad that such marriages are taking place. But I should appeal to Government to reintroduce old village set ups which used to check and screen each villagers activities. The major reason why most young girls are marriaged early in rural areas is mainly by their parents who have small villages and poverty who want to get rid of them.
shame. its very sad. marriage is a very serious thing that should be considered carwefully before engaging in. one has to have the mental and emotion preparedness before they can enter marriage.
parenst are very sick sometimes. tjhere is nothing more annoying than being with someone you don’t like. its a shame mwe.
BA KAFLUMENDE(GORV), PLSE TAKE YR OWN WORD INTO ACTION THAT U CAN PROTECT THOSE YOUNG GIRLS, NOT ONLY THEORY WORK,PLSE PRACTICAL MWEBANTU BA KWA YESU… ABANA BA KASHANA BACULA..
Who gave away the under age girl to Rupiah?
Set up a Paedophile Register…… OR Sex Register
The Govt should embark on trying to educate the girls and the parents onthe dangers of early marriages.
They may look like women but they do not think like women.They should give these children a chance to mature and go through their child hood properly.
Early marriages makes these children valunerable to economical , verbel and physical abuse in their marriage.Let these children (women to be )find their feet instead of standing on someone’s feet all the time.
problem bafana mwachilamo mamimba. every kid i know these days is pregnant. the parents are not there when they get pregnant. i am not encouraging early marriages but the gilr children should also show interest in school and leave sex to the adults!
The problem is these kids know things at an early age and they thing getting married is the solution.Now it’s going to be worse because RB is not leading by example!!!! Small girls will now go for their granny papa’s!
I CAN NOT BLAME PARENTS NEITHER THERE KIDS..
Its real a cancer to marry off while you are young, you do not enjoy your youthful stage rather than misery for life. Government should do some thing to rescue the young especially in my area kasese and kilembe in particular.
DO WE HAVE ANY STATISTICS ON HOW MANY GIRLS HAVE BEEN MARRIED SINCE THIS ISSUE CAME ABOUT? WHAT ABOUT WHAT THEY TEACH THE GIRLS AT THEY CAN HANDLE ANY MAN AT AN EARLY AGE OF 12?