The youth in the northern Malawi district of Mzimba have challenged authorities to address issues of forced marriages which they described as a violation of their human rights.
Speaking at the district’s Youth Parliament which Timveni Child and Youth Media Organisation organised at Ekwendeni on Friday, leader of the Youth Parliament Mayinala Simfukwe, 18, who is also a representative of Mpherembe area in the district, said parents usually give away their children to early marriages.
“We have a case at hand where a teacher at Enkondweni Primary School impregnated a Standard Eight pupil. However, after being given goods, the parents gave up their child to the teacher. As I am speaking now, they are married.
“We believe that the relevant authorities who are here will take up such cases to protect our rights to education,” she said.
Mzimba North district education manager Laurent Mwasikakata said the alleged issue is in the hands of the relevant authorities.
“That issue came to our office. We reported it to the principal for Karonga Teachers’ Training College [TTC] because the alleged teacher was a student from the college doing teaching practicals at the school. Had it been that he was a qualified teacher, we would have reported it to the Ministry of Education through the education division manager,” said Mwasikakata.
