MIDWEEK REPORTER
CHATIKOBO-A Mapanzure family under headman Matavire in Chief Murinye area has found itself in hot soup for marrying off an underage girl who had come home back late.
In a fit of rage the family, who cannot be named for professional reasons sent away their 16 year old girl for coming back home late.
The girl had no option but to drop off from school and get married to her 20 year old unemployed sweetheart who had delayed her to go back home that day.
She was in form 3 at Makoni Secondary School, sources told The Midweek Watch on condition of anonymity as they are related to the families involved.
Masvingo Province police spokesperson Inspector Kudakwashe Dhewa confirmed the matter and said the victim friendly unit department is investigating the case.
Sources said the husband is from Chipenga village while the girl is from Jahwa village. The bride price was paid on June 8, 2025 and the two are now staying together as husband and wife, which is against the law.
“I have heard about the marriage but am not sure of the age of the girl, let me find out and come back to you, nekuti vanhu vesocial media vanogona kureva nhema, I will serve your number and call back after I am done with my own investigations,” said Headman Edmore Matavire on the phone.
President Mnangagwa signed into law, the Criminal Laws Amendment (Protection of Children and Young Persons) Bill, 2024 raising the age of consent from 16 to 18 years as a measure to ring fence young people from sexual abuse and early exploitative marriages.
The amendment was passed by parliament in July, 2024.
This was announced in a proclamation under General Notice 1441A of 2024 in an Extraordinary Government Gazette published in September last year.
This was after a Constitutional Court ruling in May 2022 which found that the Criminal Law Code did not sufficiently protect children aged between 16 and 18 on sexual matters.
The age of sexual consent was raised to 18 and it is now an offence to have sex with a person below that age.
Before the law was signed young people were defined as those below the age of 16 years, leaving those between 16 and 18 vulnerable to sex predators.
The development was welcomed by social scientist then, who said that the new law also provides harsher penalties of up to 10 years in prison for people that abuse children, which was previously not the case.
It also means that people who have sex with those below 18 years cannot use it as a defence, even in cases where they could have consented.
