By MILDRED KATONGO –

Chieftainess Malembeka of the Bulima people of Mpongwe, Copperbelt, has recorded positive strides in curbing early marriages in her chiefdom after introducing stiffer punishment on subjects marrying off their underaged children.
Chieftainess Malembeka said any parent who was marrying off young children was forced to mould bricks and weed in her field in a bid to restrain people from the negative vice.
“Since the punishment was introduced early marriage cases have reduced. The offenders are made to mould bricks and stamp the fields for the whole chiefdom. We are still revising the punishment from time to time until the practice is stopped,” she said.
She was aware that the practice was rife in rural areas but challenged parents in her chiefdom to stop the practice or face punishment.
Chieftainess Malembeka urged Zambians to support every effort aimed at stopping child marriages in order to empower young girls with education so that they contributed to national development.
She said young girls should be left alone to reach maturity and be able to decide when and who they wanted to marry.
The traditional leader said parents should not marry off their young girls but help them attain higher levels of education.
“Parents should not love money and other material things so much that they marry off their young girls. I will not allow such in my chiefdom, I want every girl child to be educated and help contribute to national development,” she said.
She implored her fellow traditional leaders to actively participate in ending child marriage in their respective chiefdoms.