Sat, 20 Jan 2018 09:33:58 +0000
KUDOS TO GOVERNMENT ON REDUCTION OF GIRL CHILD MARRIAGES
Dear Editor,
CHILD marriage is criminalised in Zambia. This means that it is an offence for a child to be married off either by consent or otherwise. The legal age requirement for a person to be married in Zambia is 20 years and above. I don’t know with other countries
Any person who enters the matrimonial relationship or getting married below the age limit is deemed to have committed an offence of child marriage.
Girls are the main victims of child marriage. Boys are not exempted in this predicament either.
Some boys are coerced by their parents to marry even before attaining the marriage age.
However, cases of child marriage are more prevalent in rural areas than in urban areas. Some parents and guardians alike marry off school going girl children for financial and material gain. Of course there could be other reasons for marrying off girls.
The Government through President Edgar Lungu”Mr. Walk The Talk” initiated the campaign against child marriage by engaging traditional leaders in the fight of the vice of child marriage.
Chief Madzimawe of the Ngoni people of Eastern Province, chief Mumena of the Kaonde people of North Western Province among others have been in the forefront of the fight against child marriage.
The campaign against child marriage has started bearing fruits as evidenced by the drastic reduction in child marriage.
Many school girls who were married off have since been withdrawn from the matrimonial relationships, marriages and integrated back into school. Ultimately, this will enable these girls pursue their education dream.
There is an adage which goes:” when you educate a girl, you educate the nation.” As such, there is need to scale up programmes aimed at fighting child marriage in our country particularly in rural areas.
In my conclusion, I wish to extol or rather praise the Government for the frantic efforts in averting child marriage in a bid to reduce the scourge.
ELEMIYA PHIRI, Lusaka.
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Some Lusaka City Council employees should up their services
Dear Editor,
SOME Lusaka City Council employees should improve their work culture and serve the general public speedily and efficiently.
The local authority is tasked with various responsibilities. It is a known fact that people go to Lusaka City Council to access various services they need but, some workers’ work culture leaves much to be desired.
They are slow to attend to people’s needs. Worse still, they keep on postponing the issue which the client may need very urgently.
I have been going to the council for the past three weeks to access my land record but to no avail. I urgently need this document for an important task.
Each time I go to Civic Centre as Lusaka City Council is commonly referred to, I am told that the council has no cards on which to print the land record. This is mind boggling and unacceptable in this modern digital era. I am sure that there are other people in my predicament.
My humble appeal to the Local Government Service Commission is that it should quickly step in and clean up the mess at the council as far as poor work culture and serving the general public are concerned.
If truth be told, it is this one: President Edgar Lungu is on record of categorically stating that he would not condone laziness among the civil servants.
All said and done, Lusaka City Council should up their services by resorting to serving clients fast and efficiently. Moreover, the public offices are there to serve we the general public.
PHIRI, Lusaka.
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A CLEAN CITY, FRESH AIR
Editor,
STILL can not believe that Lusaka is now looking so clean and no funny smells anymore. Its actually liberating to walk on the any road in town without bumping into merchandise that is often lined up along shop corridors.
I guess this also means that even the pick pockets are having a tough time plying their trade. It cannot be easy to steal when the streets are not crowded.
I want to thank Honourable Vincent Mwale for doing his job and riding the city of street vending. However, the street vendors should be given spaces in markets so that they can continue making a living.
We do not want people to resort to crime to make a living.
Bwalya, Lusaka
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ZAF officers have disappointed me
Editor
I AM one of those people that have always admired the men and women in uniform, especially the Zambia Airforce in particular.
It is therefore disappointing to learn of the conduct of a few bad eggs that assaulted a Daily Nation reporter for no apparent reason. Even if he had been taking pictures, what would be wrong with that? That is the job of a journalist, to report in writing and in pictorial form.
Surely people are not so ignorant as not to know the role of a journalist.
We hope that ZAF commander, Chimese, a well respected man and disciplinarian will mete out appropriate action on the erring officers.
People in authority and those who yield power, should use such power responsibly and for the good of citizens.
We are still waiting for the officers to be booked for assaulting a defenceless journalist.
The officers have been put on the streets to help the nation clean the dirt streets and clear drainages, not to assault people.
Concerned citizen, Lusaka
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