Child marriages defy Zimbabwe’s new Constitution

Lazarus Sauti

“My father, a respected member of the Johane Marange sect, forced me into an early and arranged marriage to alleviate poverty and sustain our family. My husband already had four other wives and several children, and he frequently abused me physically and psychologically. Sadly, my mother always said I had to get used to that pain because that is what marriage means,” recalls 15-year-old Ruzivo Macheka (not her real name).

Ruzivo’s experience not only highlights the widespread cases of child marriage in apostolic churches, but also on-going violations of children’s rights.

Most apostolic churches in Zimbabwe encourage polygamous marriages and recent research indicates that the Johane Masowe sect is one of the worst perpetrators of child marriages to the extent that 21 percent of the married women in the church were under the age of 18.

Vaidah Mashangwa, the Provincial Development Officer in the Ministry of Women Affairs, Gender and Community Bulawayo Metropolitan Province, says what is surprising is that it is usually men (in apostolic churches) who are given dreams of who should become their next wives in their already polygamous marriages, and it seems the women rarely dream.  

According to the Apostolic Christian Council of Zimbabwe (ACCZ), an organisation with about 700 apostolic churches affiliated to it, in about 7.3 million followers, approximately 4 million are children. Of the 4 million children, 2.3 million did not finish their O’level education due to many reasons but the bigger number was affected by early and arranged marriages.

While there are pieces of legislation such as the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and the Convention on the Rights of Children (CRC), children marriages still persist in Zimbabwe. Sadly, these marriages are defying the new constitution and other pieces of legislation.

The country’s new charter increases protections against marriages of children and between non consenting partners. Section 26 of the new constitution outlaws child marriages.

It provides: “The state must take appropriate measures to ensure that – (a) no marriage is entered into without the free and full consent of the intending spouses; and (b) children are not pledged in marriage.”

The new constitution also builds on existing legislation that prohibits arranged child marriages. For instance, the Zimbabwes Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act of 2004 outlawed arranged marriages for any girl under age 18.

More so, the Domestic Violence Act is clear in terms of cultural harmful practices such as child marriages. Such acts should be reported to the Victim Friendly Unit.

The ACCZ, however, says it is working hard to eradicate child and arranged marriages within apostolic sects.

Gideon Madzikatidze, the Media Liaison Officer of the ACCZ, says the organisation has noted that early marriages in the apostolic churches are defying the country’s new constitution and violating the rights of girls. Therefore, the organisation has been lobbying leaders in different churches to stop the practice.

“We are diplomatically engaging church leaders through a well coordinated Diplomatic Awareness Campaign to conscientise them on the importance of respecting the law of the land and that of a girl child.”

ACCZ recently launched a Child Care Unit (CCU). The purpose of the CCU is to ensure that all children are granted their right to education; to eradicate all forms of child abuse; and to ensure that children get easy access to health facilities.

Clever Ndanga, the head of the ACCZ CCU, says the unit was established in a bid to inspire the apostolic community to change the wellbeing of children suffering from child marriages. He believes child marriages in apostolic churches are results of poverty and lack of education and knowledge about the legal implications of such acts. Thus, it is the mandate of relevant stakeholders to capacitate families to eradicate child marriages.

Mashangwa concurs: “In Zimbabwe the legal age of majority is 18 years and while most parents are aware of this they still marry off their young daughters due to poverty and lack of education and knowledge about the legal implications of such acts. Accordingly, it is imperative for the Government to put in place all measures to curb child marriages.”

Mashangwa adds: “It is better for parents to invest in a girl child than to ruin her life due to the love of material things that have very little significance. Children are precious; let us protect them from unnecessary suffering and abuse.” 

Ndanga agrees and believes that investing in the education of the girl child is fundamental in fighting child marriages.

“Education is a fundamental human and crucial for fighting child marriages. Thus, our message is simply that keep children in classrooms and out of the bedrooms,” he says.