CHIEFTAINESS MOOMBA LAUNCHES WAR AGAINST EARLY MARRIAGES

By LINDA SOKO TEMBO THE newly installed Chieftainess Moomba of the Nkoya people in Kazungula has pledged to stop early marriages in her chiefdom.

Chieftainess Moomba said that she would encourage parents to take their children to school because education was the key to success.

She said that there were a lot of cases of early marriages in her chiefdom because many parents had a negative mind set towards education.

In an interview, Chieftainess Moomba said that young girls and boys were being allowed by their parents to stop school and get married at a tender age.

“We want to speak loudly on stopping early marriages in the chiefdom because I believe my people are the best custodian of development of that area,” she said.

The Chieftainess explained that most of the children were dropping out of school because her chiefdom only had one primary school.

“Most of the children don’t go to Grade 8 because there is no such facility, the nearest place where there is a basic school is Western Province in Mulobezi, and there is no good relationship there because of the boundary wrangles,” the Chieftainess said.

She said that if the chiefdom could have a good number of educated people then the area could be developed quickly.

Chieftainess Moomba bemoaned lack of representations which had led to a host of challenges, bad road networks, lack of electricity in the area, basic and secondary schools, police stations, a court and hospital facilities. She said that for people to have their court cases heard or reported they had to travel to Western Province.

Chieftainess Moomba appealed to her subjects to come on board and help develop the area, noting that they could find solutions to the challenges in her chiefdom if they worked together.