The ManicaPost
Tendai Gukutikwa Post Correspondent
Fifteen-year-old Chipo Makoni (not real name) awaits delivery as she prepares for her Grade Seven examinations scheduled for December.
With her head buried behind a textbook, the heavily pregnant minor is not sure whether her ‘husband’ will allow her to sit for the exams.
She is currently enrolled at Nyakatsapa Primary School in Mutasa but Chipo is now second wife to a 30-year-old man.
Unfortunately, Chipo is not the only child bride in this predicament.
In fact, at the same school, two other 15-year-olds are reported to have been ‘married’ by older men during the national lockdown.
Five more students at Nyakatsapa High School were also impregnated by illegal gold panners. During a tour of Mutasa District which was coordinated by the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists last Friday, The Manica Post established that a large number of female students have fallen prey to sexual abuse and child marriages during the prolonged school closure.
As examination classes reopen on Monday, many may be forced to drop out of school despite the recently gazetted law that allows pregnant students to pursue their education.
Former Nyakatsapa Primary School Development Committee (SDC) chairperson, Mr Tendai Pfachi expressed his concern over the matter, highlighted that the young girls are often dumped after getting pregnant.
“We are not sure if the pregnant girls will come back to school or not. I can, however, confirm that five of them were impregnated by illegal gold panners, most of whom are already married” he said.
“These are children. According to the law, they cannot consent to matters regarding intimacy and marriage.
“This is abuse. We alerted the police but no arrests have been made so far,” said Mr Pfachi.
Mutasa District Ward 18 Community Childcare Worker, Mr Itayi Kanyati also confirmed this.
“An older married man took advantage of the girls’ idleness and lured her into a relationship.
“As we speak, she is now his second wife. Police reports were made but it seems like the wheels of justice are turning slowly. The other older man sent his wife packing after finding a younger wife.
“I think these things are happening due to the schools’ closure since March,” he said.
Manicaland Provincial Education Director, Mr Edward Shumba said the cases are yet to be brought to their attention since the schools are still closed.
“It is difficult to know if those children have in fact dropped out of school since schools are still closed,” said Mr Shumba.
“However, the pregnant students can still sit for their examinations as it is now illegal for schools to expel pregnant learners,” he said.
According to the latest statistics recorded by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education in 2019, more than 50 000 primary and secondary school learners dropped out of school owing to early child marriages, pregnancies and other factors.
A total of 18 459 were at primary school level while 34 808 were at secondary school level.
A 2019 Education Management System report released by the ministry early this year said the majority of school drop-outs are female mostly due to early marriages and pregnancy.
“At secondary level, 3 928 dropped out of school. There were 3 645 females and 283 males,” the report stated.
. . . Government comes down hard on sexual offenders
Senior Reporter
Government frowns upon child marriages and perpetrators should be put on sex offenders’ lists, a senior Government official has said.
Speaking to the media during a recent visit to Manicaland, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Mr Nick Mangwana said there is need for more awareness programs to deal with the scourge which has robbed so many children of their future.
Mr Mangwana classified the practice as ‘child rape’, adding that coining it child ‘marriage’ actually waters down the gravity of the crime.
“Anyone who takes an unwilling person to bed is a rapist.
“The same applies to these child rapists as all minors do not have the capacity to consent to such activities. In fact, people who bed minors are paedophiles, they find children attractive and that is just not acceptable.
“In other countries, those who are put on the sex offender’s list are not allowed to go near schools or children’s playgrounds.
“We could take a leaf from them,” said Mr Mangwana.
He encouraged communities to report any cases of child marriages.
“So many children’s lives are being destroyed with their communities looking the other way as they are abused.
We need to be there for these youngsters and be on the look-out for those who violate their rights,” he said.
