Police in Nakonde district of Muchinga Province have arrested a man for allegedly marrying off his underage daughter to a 21-year-old man.
Police have also arrested a 21-year-old man for allegedly marrying an underage girl.
Muchinga Deputy Police Commissioner, Bonny Kapeso, has confirmed the development to the Zambia News and Information Services (ZANIS) in Chinsali today.
Mr Kapeso said following a report by the Ministry of Education in Nakonde District yesterday that a man of Mulizye village had married off his underage daughter, police, in the company of the World Vision Zambia (WVZ) staff, followed up the matter and arrested one of the parents and the husband of the girl.
Mr Kapeso said the mother of the girl escaped the drug net and disappeared in the nearby bush and police are still looking for her.
He named the arrested parent as Bernard Sinkolongo of Mulizye village in Chieftainess Waitwika’s area of Nakonde district and his in-law as Kenny Sinkala of the same village.
Mr Kapeso said police are still investigating the matter and the public will be informed later on the next action to be taken.
Meanwhile, the 13- year- old girl who was in Grade 6 at Mulizye Primary School told ZANIS at Nakonde police station this morning that he loves the man and wants to remain in the marriage.
The girl, who is three months pregnant and was married off at an organised ceremony, last Saturday, said she does not want to go back to school.
The named girl said her parents were given one goat, two chickens, two hoes, four metres of Chitenge material, 60 litres of munkoyo drink and K60 cash.
And Chieftainess Waitwika of the Namwanga people of Nakonde district has strongly condemned the marrying off of the under-age girl.
Chieftainess Waitwika told ZANIS in an interview today that the long arm of the law should firmly deal with the parents who are in the habit of withdrawing girl children from school and give them into marriage at a tender age.
She said she is disappointed that such a thing could come from Mulizye village where she personally spent time to educate the parents on the need not to marry off their young girls.
And Society for Women Against HIV/AIDS in Zambia (SWAAZ) coordinator for Muchinga and Northern Provinces, Maggie Siame, said in separate interview with ZANIS that her organisation is ready to take the girl to the transit home until she gives birth.
Ms Siame said after the girl has given birth she will be taken back to school.
Ms Siame has also disclosed that her organisation is following up a similar case in Isoka district where a Grade 7 pupil of Mutondu Primary School has been withdrawn from school and married off.
Yesterday, Nakonde District Education Board Secretary (DEBS,) Stanley Mwambazi, told ZANIS that a 13-year-old girl of Mulizye Primary School had been withdrawn from school and married off by her parents.
Mr Mwambazi said it is unfortunate that some children abruptly stop school and school authorities later on discover that their pupils were actually married off.
He lamented that some parents are too vulnerable and view their children as a source of wealth which is wrong and against the law.
The DEBS said that it is a common trend in Nakonde district for parents to marry off their young children.
He, however, warned the parents of the 13-year-old girl of Mulizye Basic School that the long arm of the law would not spare them.
Mr Mwambazi said the Ministry of Education in conjunction with FAWEZA and CAMFED as well as Chieftainess Waitwika were working restlessly to sensitise the villagers and ensure that early marriages come to an end.
This is similar to what happens in India and in the Arab world.Tradition and our western centred morality always crushes. Traditionally there is nothing wrong with what her parents did ,but our western centred approach conflicts with that.I wouldn’t blame the parents without understanding their background and their level of western education.Cultural relativism plays a big role.
Nice point there buddy.You must be an anthropologist. I’m just afraid few people will understand you.
Walasa boyi.Right or wrong are culture specific.
Bravo Bravo!!!! ba FAWEZA . Let both parents of the girl and the boy who married the girl be jailed to send signals to others.
the girl loves the man and she is willing to stay in marriage. When we flip the pages that is human injustice. Same organisations advocates for human rights and yet you are contradicting yourself. Let the girl be married as she has stated. She doesn’t even want to go to school.
And what case are they going to give the father and the 21 yr old man. Under customary law here in Zambia there no minimum/maximum age for marriage as long the parents consent. Lets not be so excited about things we dont know.
It is 21yrs and above.
“…her parents were given one goat, two chickens, two hoes, four metres of Chitenge material, 60 litres of munkoyo drink and K60 cash….” LT you are going to pay for this laptop! You made me spit my coffee onto the keyboard. Hahahahahahaha!!!!!!!
Ati one goat, uku kweve ndiye koenda bo kwatila ba charger bwino………. not aya ma 15 million yamene timvela
The boy would be charged for defilement while the father to the girl will be charged for marrying off a girl under the age of 16. i feel for the boy because he will spent most of his youthful life in prison. Defilement ba manga, ask General Kanene.
This is the way it should be. I don’t believe that some people are talking about cultural relativism and other contrary views. This is not about Western mentality. The times we’re living in. We are trying to improve lives and reduce poverty by educating women. People we don’t want one more illiterate mother added to the already too many number of women and children living in poverty. The laws broken here are carnal knowledge of a minor even within a so-called marriage. It should be a law that you can only leave school after you reach at least 9th grade if we are to fight illiteracy. The girl obviously does not understand the consequences of living without proper education in todays world. This girl could be the next Marie Curie who knows. Let’s not waste potential in the name of…
@8 Let’s not waste potential in the name of culture.
I think he talked about culture relativism to put people in the flame of where the mother was coming from.You are lucky you understand that ,but the poor woman and the girl involved doesn’t see anything wrong because in her world this is the right thing to do.We are but a product of the the environments we have been exposed to.
well done; that practice just has to stop; keep up the good works.
Now, this again sounds huge and really calls for one huge research.early marriage, early sex, defilement, gender based violence, the question of age viz coming off age or puberty,all sound very confusing. And against this background one may ask:what is early marriage? If there’s late marriage is it any advantageous to women than so called early marriage? we seem to be getting lost.Can some lawyer out ther pliz help us instead of relying on emotionalism and, very often sheer hypocrisy