LETTICIA MAGOMBO
Investigations by the Zimbabwe Gender Commission has exposed how illegal gold miners across the country are taking advantage of young girls’ poverty for sexual exploitation and forcing them into child marriages.
It emerged that sexual exploitation of young girls who are also being forced into marriages was rampant in gold mining areas across the country including Mashonaland Central, Midlands and Matabeleland provinces.
The findings come as cases of minors being raped and impregnated has hit the country forcing the government to issue a stern warning to perpetrators.
“In Mashonaland Central, Shamva district, the ZGC found that Wards 13, 14, 18, 15 were considered hotspots for child marriages and sexual exploitation mainly due to illegal gold panning activities rife in these areas,” the report reads in part.
“The gold panners lure young girls with ‘nice things’ and end up impregnating them.”
According to the report, moral decay has also become the order of the day in the areas illegal miners are operating from.
“The hotspots in Umzingwane include wards 3,5,14,16 and 20. Ward 14 is mainly known for teen pregnancies that usually result in child marriages,” the report reads.
“Some of the reasons that these wards are hotspots include the prevalence of illegal gold mining “Amakorokoza” activities who then engage in sexual relationships with girls and young women as well as the decay in moral standards that has contributed to the rampant sexual behaviour.”
“There is also a lot of alcohol and drug abuse within these wards that lead to sexual activities resulting in sexual exploitation and child marriages,” part of the report reads.
Gweru in the Midlands province was also fingered in the report as a hotspot for sexual exploitation and child marriages.
“Its (sexual exploitation) also rampant in Gweru rural district, especially in Wards 3,4,6,7,8 in lower Gweru. Areas such as St Faith and Shamrock are popular gold panning areas,” the report shows.
“Children as young as 13 years are involved in sexual exploitation or sex work at St Faith Shops were there is gold panning. Majority dropped out of school, some in form two. Poverty was cited as a major push factor, which made the girls vulnerable to abuse. There is a high level of domestic violence resulting in children running away from their homes. Parents in the area were not valuing education.”
ZGC Margaret Mukahanana-Sangarwe society must protect the girl child.
“The overall sentiment from communities was that once a child turns 16 years and has completed their ordinary level, they feel it is okay for her to get married,” she said.
