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Yvonne Ncube, Chronicle Reporter 

THE Government through the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises has encouraged community members to help in the fight against child marriages, gender-based violence and sexual harassment.

This comes after a 14-year-old girl, Memory Machaya died while giving birth at a shrine in Bocha, Mutare District, in Manicaland.

Minister Dr. Sithembiso Nyoni in a statement said the Ministry’s provincial staff are working with relevant stakeholders in investigating the case which is said to have happened at an unspecified area in Bocha.

“The Ministry has been alerted of a very disheartening report taking its rounds on the social media of a 14-year-old girl who died while giving birth at a shrine in Bocha, Mutare District, in Manicaland. I would like to inform the nation that the Ministry’s provincial staff are working with all relevant stakeholders in investigating this case which is said to have happened at an unspecified area in Bocha. I also wish to state that once substantial evidence is gathered, we also issue a formal statement to give an update on this particular case,” she said.

Minister Dr Nyoni said the incident serves as a reminder that the menace of teenage marriages and child marriages still exist within communities.

“The case however, serves to remind us on the scourge of teenage pregnancies and child marriage that continue to affect the lives of thousands of girls in communities. Child marriage is a violation of multiple rights of the girl child that include, denying her the right to education, right to health and well-being. It exposes the girl child to Gender Based Violence (GBV), HIV and other health related conditions.

“It puts the young mother and her child into a cycle of poverty. Marrying off our girls before attaining age of marriage also denies the communities where they live and the nation at large of their contribution to national development. It is for these and various other reasons that we should join hands to vehemently condemn and declare our aspiration for a nation with Zero tolerance to child marriage,” read the statement.

She urged people of diverse social backgrounds and cultures to observe the law which stipulates the age of marriage at 18 years.

“The Constitution, the Supreme law of the country outlaw’s child marriage and clearly puts the age of marriage at 18 years. We continue to urge and encourage people from diverse backgrounds including religions and cultures to respect this Constitutional provision.”

She said child marriage is sexual abuse veiled as marriage. She expressed the need to stop violation of people’s rights in the name of religion and culture.

“I also want to unequivocally state that child marriage is nothing other than child sexual abuse disguised as a marriage and there is no reason for tolerating an abuse and it will not be tolerated even if attributed to any religious or cultural practice. Religion and culture should not be used to sanitize a violation of other people’s rights. As I stated before, investigations are under way to locate this particular case in Bocha and once that is done, my Ministry working with various stakeholders including law enforcement agencies would like to get to the bottom of the matter and ensure that justice prevails.

“I also wish to take this opportunity to encourage our communities to be vigilant and speak out on cases of Gender Based Violence and shun a culture of silence that continues to damage the very moral and social fabrics of the. Our communities will not develop and prosper when we keep silent in the face of the scourge of GBV. It is this silence that will destroy our communities,” said Minister Dr Nyoni.

She called on communities and the Government to intervene in the fight against GBV.

“I therefore want to urge all relevant players, the families, the community leaders including government functionaries at community level to speak out and create mechanisms at community level to fight any form of GBV. With the current Covid 19 prevention and containment measures we want to urge communities to be vigilant to GBV.”

“In these circumstances let’s adopt the stance that I am my neighbour’s keeper which will enable our communities to deal with cases of oppression of our neighbours. Finally, I would like to reiterate that no single entity can deal GBV on its own. We need to stand together and fight together and collectively declare Zero tolerance to child marriage,” said Minister Dr Nyoni.

@SeehYvonne