Liuwa MMD Member of Parliament Situmbeko Musokotwane has told Parliament that Zambia Army soldiers deployed in Kalabo are contributing to teenage pregnancies in the area.
Dr Musokotwane who made the remarks on Tuesday during a parliamentary session reminded Government that they campaigned on the platform of restoring the 1964 Barotseland Agreement but once in power deployed the Army against the people of Barotseland who asked them of their promise.
He has also appealed to the Ministry of General Education to liaise with the Ministry of Defence to ensure that the soldiers are moved out of the region.
But Government has denied the allegation claiming that there was no proof of pregnancies linked to soldiers who are camped in Kalabo and many other parts of western province.
Education Deputy Minister David Mabumba said the Government was not aware that soldiers are responsible for any pregnancies adding that the soldiers are in the region to maintain law and order.
Government has deployed a huge number of soldiers and police officers in western province since 2010 and in 2012 there were reports, which were confirmed in Parliament of a high number of school girls having been impregnated by police officers that were deployed to the area after the 2011 riots in Mongu.
May they should intensify sex education among our men in uniform especially that they are away from their respective homes for long tour of duties. Sex education should also be extended to the Zambia Police Services..and all other defense wings. It appears risky sex behaviour is a part of their DNA.
Agreed,but I think even the teenagers must be taught to close their legs owing to the fact that there a lot of snakes on the loose.
That is not an easy solution. Poverty comrpmises morals to ensure survival, so when empoverished teenagers see cans of beef and baked beans… The issue here is, if the kids are below the official age to have sex, criminal proceedings should be initiated on the adult in the equation. There can be no greater proof for sexua activity than pregnancy. Identify the pregnant girls and let them talk. If they are above legal age, i.e 18 and 19, no one can do anything really. Condoms should be encouraged, a campaign that has been going on for years with the advent of AIDS in our country. Men in uniform should definitely be exemplary in their behaviour and discipline.
Really sad. Not different from UN peace keepers in the congo who are sleeping & forcing themselves on young girls.
The military people in the world are all the same. There is a saying that all a soldier needs to function is cigarettes and a woman. Read Antony Bevor’s book on the fall of Berlin in the 2nd World War.
Even among chiefs, there is this tendency of prowling on small girls. Ask nkosi ya makosi. By the way, in most European countries the concert age is a low as 13years and also depends on if the parents approve of the relationship. Spain France portugal …..have the lowest age limit.
If the report/s of soldiers and/or police officers making girls pregnant are indeed true and the fact are there then Government (through army/police commands) has the responsibility to act swiftly to explore practical ways of arresting this situation that is no doubt eroding the gains being made in enhancing development through, e.g, combating HIV and increasing enrollment and retention of children in schools. Merely defending the men in uniform renders Government also guilty of encouraging a vice that has a negative impact on children’s lives….and a country whose government does not respect/uphold children’s rights compromises on the quality of future leaders.
2 SAD 2 HEAR
Thats sad but true even bakapokola also do the same
Singadoro romanticos is very high among the men in uniform.. High levels of testosterone!!!
This has been there since immemorial. Walila mvula walila matope. So leave the soldiers alone. After all that’s soldiers ration. Keep our sldiers there to maintain peace and order.
Teen age pregnancies by our men in uniform as reported by the area member of parliament in Kalabo can be minimized if all men in uniform are redeployed in other areas where the security of the area is compromised and not Kalabo where people are harmless civilians.The end result is that our men in uniform are just womanizing because there is no work to do and they will start involving themselves in illegal activities.
BUJU…POMBOZI…. Very distractive animal!!