Child bar patronage and cohabiting, worry Mwinilunga Child Protection Committee.

The Mwinilunga District Child Protection Committee (DCPC) has expressed concern over the increased underage patronage of bars and cohabiting cases involving children in the district.

District Child Protection Committee Chairperson Lomuti Mtonga says his committee is also worried about the presence of children in public places at awkward hours.

Magistrate Mtonga notes that through various departments such as the Victim Support Unit (VSU) and the department of Social Welfare, the committee has recorded and dealt with a number of cohabiting cases involving children.

He explained that there is also an increase in the number of night loitering around the CBD by children adding that even reports of girls allegedly leaving their homes to stay with their boyfriends.

ZANIS reports that Magistrates Mtonga was speaking during the District Child Protection Committee Planning Meeting.

Magistrate Mtonga attributed the situation partly to parental negligence, harmful cultural practices and uncontrolled access to internet gadgets by children.

"You see some of these cultural practices are responsible for some of these things, children are taught through these initiation ceremonies age inappropriate activities which they want to practice afterwards" he said.

Magistrate Mtonga said in an effort to help address the situation, the committee has since planned to conduct a number of sensitisation activities targeting children, parents, religious and traditional leaders on issues affecting children's welfare.

He has since called on responsible institutions in the district to enforce legal provisions that prevent bars and public place owners from entertaining children within their premises.

And a committee member Fanwel Munachibala observed that exposure to age inappropriate information such as violence and obscene material through various technological means have as well compounded the situation.

Mr Munachibala appealed to parents to take responsibility by monitoring their children's activities and taking interest in knowing who their children interact with and where they could be at any given time.

"We have these children living by themselves with no one to monitor them, they live in their small houses alone, and are mixing with the boys as well," said Mr. Munachibala.

Meanwhile, another committee member Joy Mwape noted that there was a serious need to equip the girl children especially with information and skills that can help them become assertive.