In an interview with H-Metro, ZGC deputy chairperson
commissioner, Obert Matshalaga, expressed concern over the scourge of child
marriages in the area.
“Most of the young girls are getting married at 14-15 years
and what is most interesting is that some of them appear like they were
indulging already in sexual activities,” he said.
Comm Matshalaga said the authorities in Hopley said young
girls would come demanding sexual protection, as early as 10 years, which
translates into early marriages.
“We have two or three cases where we heard a girl went away
from home and came back late but was told to go back and I asked the lady why
she returned to the boyfriend, instead of going to an uncle or aunt’s place,
she responded by saying ‘in this environment I do not have them nearby’ so they
end up going to the boyfriend,” he said.
“The most difficult thing is that normally they are
accepted back by the boyfriend and the parents immediately try to initiate
marriage processes unaware that it is illegal for them to marry when they are
below 18.
“It’s a big problem.”
He said there was need to mobilise communities and identify
ways of handling the situation.
“They say it’s a very difficult situation because one of
the biggest problems that we have is that most of these young girls do not have
birth certificates.
“The young men, once caught up in this processes, there is
need for cooperation from the parents, to have somebody arrested, but where
it’s a hash situation it’s very difficult,” Commissioner Matshalaga
“What is needed is to mobilise communities to police the
process and to identify ways of handling the situation at community levels.”
Hopley residents, who attended the hearings, attributed the
early marriages to high levels of poverty, peer pressure and drug and substance
abuse. H Metro
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