Chigwe Basic school in Chadiza district, Eastern Province has withdrawn a 12- year- old grade five pupil from marriage.
According to the notice of withdrawal signed by School Head Teacher Robert Phiri and
copied to Chief Pembamoyo, Vubwi Member of Parliament and Vubwi Police Officer
Incharge, the girl of Pembamoyo area was married off to a man who had lost his
second wife through death.
School Headteacher said the girl returned to school on 19 March this year after a fruitful discussion with her parents and headman Mkundika who resolved that they would complain to police, if the man persisted in his demand for the girl.
In the notice, Mr Phiri expressed sadness at increased cases of early marriages in the area adding that the institution was losing young girls of aged between 11 and 16 to early marriages.
“The parents of the girl have also returned the chicken that the man paid as Lobola,” Mr Phiri said.
He further disclosed that the school had re-admitted a number of girls in accordance with the government’s re-entry policy.
District Education Board Secretary could not comment on the matter as she was reportedly out of office by press time.
And District Commissioner Maximo Chitambi expressed happiness with the withdrawal
of the girl from marriage and has since appealed to traditional leaders to discourage early marriages in their areas.
“Am delighted with the withdrawal of this child from marriage, what the school has
done is in line with Government policy of not forcing young girls into early marriages as they don’t understand marriage,” Mr Chitambi.
But we are not saying people should not get married but we want them to marry at the
right age when they have also acquired education which was key in human life,” he added.
ZANIS
It’s a shame to realize that children can be taken off from school to be married.What is needed is prosecution of the culprits. How can a widower sleep with a 12 year old? It is this same behavior that has seen the rise in maternal Mortality from 600 deaths per 100,000 live births in 1996 to over 700 deaths because these women who are reproducing child are young are complications during child-birth is inevitable. Besides, due to their low education status, they don’t understand how their bodies work, they also can’t understand how important it is to have antenatal as well as postnatal care.
With issues of HIV on the rise, we’ve seen that the rate of those HIV is higher for women than men. Women who are married younger have no negotiating power to tell the husband to use protection even when they (women) know that their husband have multiple sexual partners. They are also the poorest hence making them more vulnerable to abuse.In this regard, i appreciate the withdrawal.
Put this sex-crazy idiot behind grils in the doomsfield. How do the coppers leave this quack loose even after he has been oficially or rather openly defiling this poor and inocent girl. No more virginity in her, exposed to the gigantic nudity of this fool before her mature time. And to our respectable chiefs, where have we kept our values to let such a thing happen. Please, learn to safeguard your subjects especially women and children who are the most vulnerable of our society
Good show, I liked what the the head teacher has resolved next time do the same