Nakonde traditional leader condemns early marriages

A traditional ruler in Northern Province has condemned some parents who are withdrawing their girl children from school in preference to early marriages.
Chieftainess Nawaitwika of the Namwanga people of Nakonde district has also expressed great concern over the increased number of elderly people murdered on suspicion of practicing witchcraft.
Speaking at Mutakwa basic school yesterday during her tour of her chiefdom, Chieftainess Nawaitwika said she was upset to learn that they were some parents still withdrawing their girl children from school in preference to early marriages.
She charged that withdrawing of the girl child from school at a tender age would greatly affect the literacy levels of the district.
The traditional ruler said education was the backbone of the nation’s economy and this was the reason why the government was committed to improving infrastructure and conditions of service for the teachers.
“Low education levels do not only affect the nation but also individual households as they fail to come up with even simple budgets for their families,” Chieftainess Nawaitwika noted.
Chieftainess Nawaitwika has since directed all the village chairpersons to ensure that names of parents and guardians withdrawing their girl children from school at a tender age to be noted and submitted to her for action.
She warned that whoever will be found to be frustrating the education of the girl child will face her wrath and that of the government.
She called on her subjects to participate fully in community programmes to improve their living standards.
And Chieftainess Nawaitwika says she is not happy with the continued killing of innocent elderly people on suspicion of practicing witchcraft.
She has since appealed to her subjects to surrender all illegal firearms usually used in the killing of the elderly people in the area before the law takes its course.
The traditional ruler was accompanied by the District Commissioner Edwin Sinyinza, deputy council secretary Felix Siame and council chairman Luka Simusamba on the tour.
[ZANIS]