By Frank Kamuntu
Information and Publicity Minister Monica Mutsvangwa has called for the castration of abusers in response to a worrying increase in teenage pregnancies in Zimbabwe.
The call for castration came after Ruth Labode, a Parliamentary Portfolio Committee chairperson, raised concerns about the government’s policies to address the issue. Labode expressed sadness at the statistic that “700 young girls aged 10 to 14” had become pregnant, saying “what has gone wrong with our people?”
Mutsvangwa agreed, stating that “a 10-year-old is a baby and for any person in his right sense to actually take her as a woman, I think there is an element of madness which needs to be dealt with; an element of cruelty or animal behaviour which needs to be dealt with.” She believes that stiffer penalties are necessary to deter men from engaging in sexual activity with underage girls.
According to the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency, 700 girls aged 10 to 14 gave birth in 2022. The Family Aids Caring Trust has also reported a surge in child pregnancies between 2021 and 2022, with over 20,000 pupils dropping out of school after falling pregnant.
Mutsvangwa has called for unity among leaders and parents to fight against this “evil.” She stated that she would be taking the matter up with her colleagues and that “penalties should be quite high.”
In the words of Mutsvangwa, “it is about all of us as leaders in the areas where we live. It is also about us as parents to work together, united as Zimbabweans to fight against this evil.”
This shocking statistic highlights the urgent need for action to protect Zimbabwe’s children from harm. As Mutsvangwa has pointed out, “a 10-year-old is a baby” and it is the responsibility of all adults to ensure their safety and wellbeing.
Hopefully, with the government taking a more proactive stance, more measures will be put in place to prevent child pregnancies and protect young girls.
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