Govt moves to eradicate child marriage

THE Government is working on a Bill to align the country’s marriage laws as part of wider efforts to eradicate marriage of children below the age of 18.

This was said by Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa who is also the overseer of Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs while debating a motion calling on Government to domesticate provisions of the Sadc Model Law prohibiting child marriages adopted in 2016.

The motion was moved by Matabeleland South Senator Cde Tambudzani Mohadi.

“We are already working on a Bill. The Ministry of Justice is aligning all the marriage laws and the progressive provisions suggested in the Sadc Model Law will be incorporated,” VP Mnangagwa said.

“There will be amendments to the Marriages Act, the Customary Marriages Act and all other outdated laws that deal with marriages.

“The Constitutional Court has also ruled that all persons below the age of 18 must not consummate marriages and that will also be reflected in the Bill,” he said. The Constitutional Court outlawed marriages of children under the age of 18 in a landmark ruling handed down last year and VP Mnangagwa said a committee had been set up to find ways to synchronise the Court’s ruling and the current age of consent, which is currently 16 years and other attendant issues.

VP Mnangagwa said the Government had since agreed to raise the legal age of consent to 18 adding he would also take parliamentarians concerns into account when the Bill was brought to Parliament.

Mashonaland Central Senator Monica Cde Monica Mavhunga, said it was important to align the country’s marriage laws with the Sadc Model to ensure the safety of girls and promote their development.

“Early marriages are detrimental to the future of the young girls and also exposes them to diseases such as HIV and AIDS and other reproductive challenges as they are not mature enough to bear children,” she said.