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Walter Mswazie Masvingo Correspondent
MASVINGO is ranked third among the provinces with the highest number of child marriages in Zimbabwe with four in every ten marriages involving minor girls, a survey has revealed. According to the Zimbabwe Multiple Indicator Cluster survey for 2014, at least 39 percent of the marriages recorded in Masvingo involve minor children between the ages of 10 and 15 years. This is above the national average of child marriages which is at 32,8 percent.

The causes of such marriages comprise child abuse, traditional norms like girl pledging and religion as some churches promote marrying of minors by adults.

In the same report Mashonaland Central is at the top of the list with 50 percent of the marriages involving minors, followed by Mashonaland West which is at 42 percent, Mashonaland East 36 percent, Midlands 31 percent, Manicaland 30 percent, Matabeleland North 27 percent, Harare 19 percent, Matabeleland South 18 percent while Bulawayo has the least prevalence with about 10 percent.

Zimbabwe is among the top 41 countries in the world with many cases of child marriages.

An official from the department of social welfare said cases involving minors being forced into marriage by their parents or guardians were on the increase. The official called on the courts to give deterrent sentences to perpetrators of child marriage so that men will learn to respect the rights of children especially the girl child.

Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Priscilla Mupfumira said according to the Multiple Indicator Cluster survey of 2014, 32,8 percent of Zimbabwean women aged 20 to 49 were married before attaining the age of 18.