Chiefs and Traditional Affairs Minister Nkandu Luo has admonished parents of defiled girl children in Southern Province for charging perpetrators of the vice cows instead of ensuring that such men face the wrath of the law.
This came to light during a workshop held for headmen in Sinazongwe district today that most parents in the area prefer to get cattle as compensation from men who defile their teen girl children.
Professor Luo stressed that perpetrators of defilement need to be severely punished by spending many years in jail in order to deter other would be offenders.
She appealed to parents and guardians in the area not to charge cows when children are defiled but instead pursue such cases with the law enforcement agencies to ensure the natural flow of justice takes its course.
Professor Luo lamented that President Michael Sata will be dissapointed to learn of this development as he wants all children to be treated fairly and to get an education.
She said the head of state recognises that educating children especially the girl child is crucial to enhancing economic development in the country
Professor Luo said the country will not develop unless its citizenry acquire the necessary education to stir the county’s development agenda.
And Professor Luo has called for an immediate end to sexual cleansing in Southern province.
The minister said the practice was dangerous to the health of people involved as it exposes them to diseases such as HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections.
Sinazongwe Assistant Social Welfare Officer Collence Hakasenke disclosed during the meeting that sexual cleansing was still rife in the area.
He said this development has exposed many people in the area to sexually transmitted infections especially HIV/AIDS.
The workshop has been organised by the ministry of chiefs in an effort to encompass traditional leaders in the country’s development agenda.
95 percent of headmen from different parts of the district have attended the meeting among others to learn the effects of gender based violence, property grabbing in communities.
banachimusa éee banachimbusa bangala fye kufunda umwana ee kufunda umwana kufika po
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It is unfortunate that poverty leads these Villagers to do such. They think on how they can benefit from an incident than looking at what has gone wrong. Turning underage Girls to cash cows is really wrong?? Wonder what those Tonga men were thinking as they take this practice as normal.
What do you gain by sending someone to jail? Its better to collect cattle from the culprit pays and use it to secure the future of your abused child. NKandu Luo should leave the Tongas alone. What makes her think sending perpetrators of such crime to jail can really completely eradicate this evil?
Ba Luo, when cases of that nature arose in Bemba, Bisa, Luapula [no cattle or imbushi], Mambwe, Namwanga and Tonga [a lot of cattle] lands, just to name a few, it was the nearest available means of payment to the punishment that was conducted. Cattle.
What does today’s law say about it?