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Lloyd Gumbo Harare Bureau
Some Government officials including MPs are sexual predators engaging in sexual encounters with minors but continue to walk scot-free, a parliamentary committee has revealed.

This was revealed when the portfolio committee on Women Affairs, Gender and Community Development received oral evidence from various stakeholders on the prevalence of child marriages in Mashonaland Central province recently.

Presenting the first report of the findings in the National Assembly yesterday, committee chairperson Cde Beatrice Nyamupinga said submissions from all the districts that the committee visited in the province confirmed a high prevalence of child marriages.

“In Centenary, the committee was informed that there was a high pupil dropout rate and rampant child marriages involving girls doing Grade Six and Seven, especially in Lower Muzarabani,” said Cde Nyamupinga.

“A primary (school) teacher reported to the committee during public hearing that on average 30 pupils are dropping out of school due to child marriages annually.

“A church pastor, during public hearing informed the committee that a 15-year old girl had been sexually abused and forced into marriage, had contracted a sexually transmitted infection (STI) that affected her health until she became mentally disturbed. Rehabilitation of the girl was said to be difficult since parents and close relatives were said to be uncooperative.

“In Dotito, it was reported to the committee that a grade six pupil had been married recently.”

Cde Nyamupinga said in Rushinga, CAMFED, a civil society organisation that provides fees for underprivileged school going girls revealed that female pupils continued to drop out of school due to early marriages.

“In Shamva, the committee was informed of an underage girl who was made pregnant by a Government official and the perpetrator was not arrested,” said Cde Nyamupinga.

She said some of the major factors and conditions promoting child marriages were poverty, lack of alignment of marriage laws with the new Constitution, lenient sentences given to cases regarding statutory rape or consensual sex with a minor, practices of child marriages by some churches particularly the Johanne Marange Apostolic Sect as well as low levels of education among others.

On its observations and findings, the committee found out that youths and school going children were exposed to illicit drugs among them marijuana and broncleer cough syrup commonly referred to as broncho.

“The committee also found that communities in Mashonaland Central were concerned about incidents of sex with minors involving public officials or figures such as police officers, Members of Parliament and or teachers.

“In most, if not all cases, child brides are disempowered, dependent on their husbands and deprived of their fundamental rights to health, education and safety.

“Neither physically nor emotionally ready to become wives and mothers, child mothers are at greater risk of experiencing dangerous complications in pregnancy and child birth, becoming infected with HIV/Aids and suffering domestic violence,” said Cde Nyamupinga.

All the other legislators who debated the motion condemned child marriages but some of them said parents, guardians and teachers were helpless as they could not discipline errant pupils for fear of being found on the wrong side of the law.

MDC-T MP for Binga South, Mr Joel Gabbuza said 16 female pupils aged between 14-18 years from one school in his constituency had dropped out of school during the same period due to marriages.