Parents who knowingly arrange for their underage children to marry older individuals must be apprehended and subjected to legal prosecution to the fullest extent of the law.
Recent data from Statistics SA has disclosed that in 2021 alone, there were 207 recorded instances of child marriages, with concerns that this number could potentially escalate.
The Commission for Gender Equality (CGE) has indicated that the prevalent practice of child marriages, often intertwined with traditional abductions, remains alarmingly high in locations like Umzimkhulu in the southern region of KwaZulu-Natal, as well as other rural areas.
The commission attributes this distressing phenomenon to a combination of factors, including elevated levels of poverty, the misuse of cultural traditions and a lack of access to information regarding available assistance.
Zanele Ncwane, from the CGE, has highlighted cases where girls attending school have been coerced into marriages without their consent, and compelled by their parents to proceed with these arrangements.
To combat this issue, it is imperative for the government to initiate comprehensive education efforts aimed at informing parents about the support mechanisms accessible to them and their children.
Concurrently, parents who force their children into marriages should face legal consequences that match the gravity of their actions.
Addressing this pressing concern should also encompass the legal system treating child marriage as severely as it does cases of rape. It is evident that these early marriages are also contributing to a disturbingly high incidence of teenage pregnancies.
In tackling this multifaceted challenge, the involvement of traditional leaders could prove pivotal. They could, in collaboration with the Department of Social Development, organise community gatherings (izimbizo) in affected parts of the country.
These would allow them to openly denounce the continuation of child marriages and traditional customs that exploit young girls. Traditional leaders should make it unequivocally clear that exploiting their culture to harm innocent young lives will not be tolerated.
By taking a proactive stance, meaningful strides can be made towards eradicating child marriages and safeguarding vulnerable girls.
Cape Times