Child marriages have been a major problem in Zimbabwe with Manicaland province being one of the most affected. Mutare district has among the highest incidences of child marriages in Zimbabwe. The Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Report 2021 states that poverty and food insecurity are the major driving forces for child marriages in most communities. Mutare rural has a larger number of people from the Apostolic churches who subscribe to early marriages and this has seen a lot of young girls who are not yet physically and psychologically ready to deal with childbirth getting married and giving birth at a very tender age with some as young  as 13 years. The area saw the case of a 15 year-old girl , Anna Machaya who died giving birth recently and her husband was a 26-year-old man from the Johane Marange Apostolic church. Child marriages have resulted in many young under aged girls falling victim to STIs, HIV/AIDS as well as high mortality rates among other things and this can lead to an intergenerational cycle of poverty. Again recently, in Chiadzwa, a 15 year old girl bride died whilst giving birth and the 29 year old husband was released on $40 000 ZWL bail. The country’s laws do not give stiff penalties to those that marry minors, this is a cause for concern to the communities, and they fear for their young girls. According to the Constitution of Zimbabwe (2013) a child is someone under the age of 18 years, however the Children’s Act defines a child as a person who is under the age of 16 years. The Criminal law (Codification and Reform), Act states that having sexual intercourse with a young person under 16 years is illegal and such criminal, but does not criminalize marrying a child / minor. Whatever therefore happens to someone who is 16 years and a day old and 17 years 11 months remains undefined. According to the Customary Law marriage Act, there are no age limits to marriage and as such, girls can be married off before becoming adults. Hence, there is need for serious alignment of the Constitution and the law to criminalize child marriages and protect the girl child.

Villagers in Mutare West are deeply concerned and disheartened on the issue pertaining to the treatment and charges preferred against child marriages' perpetrators. There has been an outcry on the lack of laws criminalizing child marriages and consequent stiffer penalties for people involved in marrying  and marrying off a child.

As DellaMercy Charity Organization(Demco Trust) we are advocating for the criminalization of child marriages and everyone involved in marrying and marrying off a child must be prosecuted. We therefore propose a mandatory jail sentence of 20 years. Let us all join hands as we fight for the justice of our girl child.

#criminalizechildmarriages

#20yearsmandatorysentence