Thursday, March 28, 2024

Chieftainess Shimukunami dissolves underage marriage

Share

Chieftainess Shimukunami of Lufwanyama district has withdrawn and dissolved a marriage involving a 14-year-old girl grade five pupil at a named school in her chiefdom on the Copperbelt Province.

The Chieftainess has further punished the parents from both sides to do communal works for one week at the Palace’s farm.ZANIS reports that the traditional ruler has since directed the said parents to take back the girl to school.

She said she will also engage other stakeholders to ensure that the girl finishes school without any disturbances.The Chieftainess warned the man who married the girl in question not to be seen anywhere near her or risk facing the full wrath of the law.

Chieftainess Shimukunami said the 22-year-old man in question will do communal work for more days than his parents as a way of teaching him a lesson.

She said the involved parties were summoned to the palace after some community members who seemed concerned about the matter reported to her.
Meanwhile, the parents from both sides disclosed that the girl was married off for K2, 500.00 and that a down payment of K1, 500. 00 was settled.

The said parents who seemed remorseful apologised to the chief and promised not to repeat their action.

16 COMMENTS

  1. Good move!!

    Now make sure that people are prosecuted if they are found to have had carnal knowledge of underage girls.

    And get these children back into school prompto.

    • She will return to that marriage one way or another. The truth is there are no incentives or any sort of hope these girls to feel like they can sustain a life on their own without being married.

    • I thought they were working at a NAMWALA Farm. Anyway, good job CHIEF. There are many “Mulima Chipubas” at the Dung Farm.

  2. Bushe this country, is it a sanatorium where people don’t learn? Awe sure its a full circle of comedy. Your Royal Highness we are very greatful. If all the royal highest start doing this then will be moving in the right direction. So far a few are coming in now. Great!!

  3. @Nostradamus. The name ”umulima cipuba” has made my day. Is there a way to extend ”umulima cipuba” to politicians. We have many on both sides of the aisle. Good call Chieftainess Shimukunami.

  4. This is great in the wake of a recent UN report showing Zambia among the worst offenders in relation to child marriage. Highlighted provinces are: the Copperbelt _ Lufwanyama, Masaiti, Mpongwe, in Northern and Muchinga Provinces in districts such as Isoka, Mporokoso, Chilubi and others. As most of it takes place through traditional arrangements, it is significant that chiefs do not condone it.

  5. This is not a wise decision, it is better to get married as prime teen than for teens to mother children out of wedlock. What should be regulated is teenage pregnancy outside marriage. A law should be passed that if you pregnant a teen the same should be your wife, like it or not she can go to school from hubby’s house. And should be an offence for husband to mistreat such a wife. The husband should bare all the consequences because he stated that relationship, by law he must make that marriage work. This would bring behavior change in men run after young girls.

    • “A law should be passed that if you pregnant a teen the same should be your wife,”

      Thereby condoning pedophilia, you sir are an *****. The man should go to prison !

  6. The same report indicates that the Western Province (most of the districts including Mongu and Shangombo present the other situation of the largest numbers of teenage pregnancies but no marriage. The problem is that both scenarios cause significant health, social and economic problems for girls and the country. Being married at 14 (which is illegal in Zambia) and defilement, also illegal under Section 138 of the Penal Code Cap 87 of the Laws of Zambia may result in children bearing children before they are physically in positions/conditions to do so. The girls’ health and that of their children is affected and that demands more resources for health care which the govt. cannot afford given the less productive nature of unhealthy people. So it does not help to marry off a 14 year old…

  7. What is the use of outlawing teen marriages when you do nothing about teen pregnancies. What would not be done through marriage, will be simply be done outside marriage, this will add more pains to the young mother who would suffer with children without the father. Although there is law against teen pregncy has such regulation brought down to any significance the number teenage pregnancies or is there any record arrests made in the wake of such scenarios. My fisrt statement above offers a better solution, terms of bringing men who prey on young girls in check.

  8. This story is not complete. The girl is pregnant. The Chieftainess just felt jealous because the guy did not marry her daughter. If I were this guy I would impregnate the Chieftainess’ daughter before I finish the punishment

  9. I do not understand the wisdom of people of nowadays, the condemn girls of 18 and 19 years to geting married, but they do not condemn the same age getting pregnant outside marriage, which of the two is more abominable?
    Never mind it is because your senses of shame are dead. That is why the world of today is promoting abomination of abortion rights, but outlawing the tens of 18 and 19 years to marry. They see no wrong in same sex marriages, but the find offence in the mentioned age to marry. How is that this world is embracing evil and outlawing right? 18 and 19 years teens are mature young women who can be given in marriage to appropriate aged young men, it is not evil, but it is evil for them to get pregnant outside marriage.

Comments are closed.

Read more

Local News

Discover more from Lusaka Times-Zambia's Leading Online News Site - LusakaTimes.com

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading