MP says give parents power to discipline their children to stop child marriages

The Member of Parliament for Muzarabani Alfred Mufunga says parents should have power to control their children and to discipline them to curb child marriages.

In his contribution to the proposal for Zimbabwe to adopt the Southern African Development Community Model law on Eradicating Child Marriages, Mufunga said many parents do not have power to control their children so they cannot reprimand them. 

“There are a lot of things that are being done by children personally and there are also things being done by parents who push their children into marriages whilst they are still under age.  I think we should also look at the fact that parents should have power over their children.  If parents have power over their children, it means that a child cannot just go on their own to report to the police after being abused.

“I come from Muzarabani, if you observe very well, you will realise that in Mashonaland Central, that is the province where a lot of child abuse is taking place.  I have about two or three incidences where children who were in Form One were taken from school and when parents complained, the children were the ones who vindicated their husbands.  Looking at that, a parent cannot take it further because the law will protect the child because of their rights.  I think parents should be given more powers over their children.  When we were growing up, our parents had power over us.”

Full contribution

*HON. MUFUNGA: Thank you Mr. Speaker.  I want to thank you Hon. Speaker for this motion.  It is a very good motion from SADC.  I want to support it because it will put us on the map as a nation.  However, on that note, I want to say that we should also help our children as parents.  We should be custodians of our children and we should have power over them.  Many parents do not have power to control their children, they cannot reprimand them.  There are a lot of things that are being done by children personally and there are also things being done by parents who push their children into marriages whilst they are still under age.  I think we should also look at the fact that parents should have power over their children.  If parents have power over their children, it means that a child cannot just go on their own to report to the police after being abused.

I come from Muzarabani, if you observe very well, you will realise that in Mashonaland Central, that is the province where a lot of child abuse is taking place.  I have about two or three incidences where children who were in Form One were taken from school and when parents complained, the children were the ones who vindicated their husbands.  Looking at that, a parent cannot take it further because the law will protect the child because of their rights.  I think parents should be given more powers over their children.  When we were growing up, our parents had power over us.  I think parents should be given powers.  Mr. Speaker, I do not have much to say.  What I want to say is that all of us should support this motion so that it is implemented as it is.

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