Chief Jumbe dissolves 3 early marriages
Written by Millennium on February 7, 2019
SIMON MUNTEMBA writes
I will not allow the culture of marrying off children at a tender age in my chiefdom and I have just retrieved three girls from child marriages, says Chief Jumbe of the Kunda speaking people of Mambwe district.
In an interview with the Sun yesterday, Chief Jumbe disclosed that he has dissolved marriages involving three grade seven girls.
“The three girls were in grade seven and made it to grade eight. And I have information that other four girls have been married off, but I will soon retrieve the girls and take them to school.
“I will not allow the culture of marrying off children at a tender age in my chiefdom,” Chief Jumbe said.
He has vowed to continue campaigning against early marriages in his Chiefdom to ensure that the victims of early marriages get back to school by mobilizing resources from community members.
The traditional leader noted that the culture of marrying off children at a tender age has slowly clipped in the Zambian society, saying the trend has contributed to high levels of illiteracy among future generations.
He noted that young people were the future leaders of the country, saying allowing them to get into marriage was detrimental.
The chief said it is time people recognized that giving non-judicial powers to traditional rulers like in the colonial days can help in instilling sanity in the chiefdom as chiefs will be mandated to hold courts where parents who force their children into marriage can be punished.