By Mvelo Mthiyane Zondo in Matibe, Beitbridge
BEITBRIDGE – Villagers in Matibe, Beitbridge, have vowed to take stern action against traditional marriage mediators who facilitate child marriages within their communities, as the fight against early marriages and gender-based violence intensifies.
The issue came to the fore during a National AIDS Council (NAC) “Not in My Village” campaign held at Chief Matibe’s homestead, where traditional leaders and community members unanimously condemned the practice of marrying off underage girls.
Community members warned that anyone found arranging marriages for minors would face severe punishment from the village leadership.
Child marriage remains illegal in Zimbabwe following a Constitutional Court ruling which states that no person under the age of 18 may marry, regardless of customary or religious practices. The Marriages Act of 2022 also sets 18 years as the legal minimum age for marriage and criminalises the pledging or marrying of minors, practices often driven by poverty and harmful cultural norms.
Speaking during the NAC media tour, Chief Matibe said child marriages had no place in his jurisdiction.
“The campaign is empowering communities to reject harmful practices that expose young girls to abuse, exploitation, HIV infection and forced marriages,” he said.
The “Not in My Village” campaign seeks to combat child marriages, gender-based violence and the spread of HIV through partnerships involving traditional leaders, health workers, schools, police and the Department of Social Welfare.
During the gathering, villagers and stakeholders also identified long distances to schools as one of the major factors contributing to school dropouts and vulnerability among girls.
Some pupils reportedly travel more than 20 kilometres daily to access education, exposing them to risky relationships and exploitation.
“To address the challenge, low-cost boarding facilities have been introduced in some communities to provide safe accommodation for pupils travelling long distances,” said Chief Matibe.
He noted that the initiative had helped reduce school dropouts while encouraging more girls to remain in school, thereby lowering cases of child marriages and HIV infections.
The campaign has also encouraged communities to openly report rape and abuse cases, including incidents involving close relatives, which were previously concealed due to fear and stigma.
Village head Jeremiah Mbedzi said the community had agreed on punitive measures against anyone involved in facilitating child marriages.
“As the Matibe community, we have agreed to fine marriage mediators either a beast or money equivalent to the market value of the animal,” said Mbedzi.
