By Daily Revelation Correspondent
Government has challenged traditional leaders in Kapiri Mposhi district to exercise their authority and intervene in the rampant incidences of early marriages being experienced in their respective areas, in view of the nine grade seven school dropouts due to pregnancies and early marriages.
Nine grade seven pupils at Liombe Primary School in Kapiri Mposhi district last year dropped out of school due pregnancies and early marriages.
The pupils include a 16-year-old boy who dropped out of school after marrying a 15-year-old girl from the same school.
This came to light when Kapiri Mposhi District Commissioner, Smart Mwila visited the school where he addressed nine village Headmen.
School Deputy Headteacher, Elias Chikoti revealed that seven girls quit school after falling pregnant while two other pupils discontinued their education due to early marriages.
Chikoti however said the school adminstration made a follow-up on the pregnant girls to allow them to continue school through the government re-entry policy.
He disclosed that only six girls managed to continue with school after giving birth.
“We persuaded them to come back and continue with school at the same time they were pregnant and we gave them leave from school so that they can resume with education after delivery of their babies … some came back and are even doing grade eight now,” Chikoti said.
But District Commissioner Smart Kangale Mwila implored traditional leaders in the district to intervene in the rampant incidences of early marriages and child pregnancies being experienced in their areas.
Mwila challenged the traditional leaders to help government by exercising their powers to disolve early marriages.
Mwila further urged traditional leaders to exercise their authority to discourage other social vices such as brewing and consumption of illicit local beer commonly known as Kachasu which he said was hampering productivity and development in rural areas.
“You’ve a lot of problems such as early marriages and pregnancies and brewing and consumption of Kachasu but you are there just watching… Kachasu brewing and drinking is destroying people and affecting productivity in your areas so help government to govern at village level,” Mwila said.
Meanwhile, traditional leaders have appealed to government to re-open Liombe Police Post, closed over 15 years ago, in order to curb increased crime rates being experienced in the area.
Speaking on behalf of others, Senior Headman champanga Robby Pondala, explained that the area is experiencing criminal activities common among them murder, Gender Based Violence (GBV) and stock theft.
“We need police presence in our area because people are using mob justice and mob psychology and even witchcraft to settle problems,” Headman Pondala said.
He stated that criminals were taking advantage of the absence of police officers in the area to commit crime adding that people in the area currently rely on Kasanda Police Station in Kabwe about 70 Kilometers a
Credit image: Human Rights Watch
