Minister of Community Development and Social Services, Doreen Mwamba, has called on traditional leaders in Central Province to work with the government in championing the fight against early marriages and other forms of child abuse.
Ms Mwamba says government will soon look at the possibilities of stiffening the law on child defilement and other vices against children.
The minister made the call in Chisamba when she paid a courtesy call on chiefs Liteta of Chibombo district and Chamuka of Chisamba district.
She has since appealed to the two traditional leaders to be proactive in advocating against all forms of child abuse in their respective chiefdoms.
Ms Mwamba said child defilement can only end when the government and the traditional leaders join hands in addressing the vice.
And Chief Chamuka of the Lenje people in Chisamba and Kabwe districts said his chiefdom will continue playing an active role in the fight against all form of child abuse.
Chief Chamuka said there is need to enact a law that will make sexual abuse against children a non-bailable offence.
Meanwhile, Chief Liteta has attributed the high levels of child abuse in his chiefdom to uncontrollable consumption of alcohol amongst his subjects.
There is a chief who has insisted he does not want a new palace built for him and does not want his allowances increased until the livelihood and welfare of his subjects are improved first. Very rare in this country