Young Men Fleeing Zimbabwe to South Africa After Impregnating Underage Girls
A recent report from the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission (NPRC) has shed light on a concerning trend in Zimbabwe’s southern districts, where young men between the ages of 18 and 23 are fleeing to South Africa after impregnating underage girls.
According to the NPRC’s 2023 annual report, many of these individuals are relocating to South Africa in search of employment opportunities, while others are fleeing prosecution after impregnating multiple minors in areas such as Beitbridge.
In Zimbabwe, it is a criminal offense to engage in sexual or indecent relations with individuals under the age of 18. The country recently raised the age of consent to 18 years, with offenders facing a maximum penalty of 10 years in jail.
South Africa, with its robust economy boasting an estimated US$400 billion GDP in 2023, offers a broader range of job prospects compared to Zimbabwe. As a result, over 270,000 Zimbabweans are officially documented as residing in South Africa. However, the actual number is believed to be much higher due to the prevalence of illegal immigration from Zimbabwe.
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The NPRC has expressed concern over underreported cases of child marriages in Zimbabwe, highlighting the need for greater awareness and enforcement of laws aimed at protecting minors from exploitation and abuse.
“There is an urgent need for inter-agency approach towards eliminating child marriages, including collaborations with State and non-state actors, as well as, sister commissions to conduct massive awareness campaigns in the grossly affected areas of Chasvingo, Number Two and Malungudzi Villages under chief Matibe in Beitbridge East,” the NPRC said.
“Parents do not report the cases to the traditional leadership or the police. The general trend is that every month averages of two minors per village are married off after having been impregnated by young men aged between 18 and 23 years.
“The parents accept lobola whilst the young men responsible for the pregnancies cross over to South Africa to look for greener pastures to fend for their new families or as a way of evading responsibility.”
“Traces of an uncoordinated approach and blame-game were noted as contributing to underreporting of child marriages or teen pregnancies whereby each stakeholder seems to be focusing on pursuing their own key result areas,” the report reads in part.
“The parents only report cases to the Zimbabwe Republic Police when there have been disagreements over unmet expectations or in rare cases where more than one minor would have been impregnated by the same man, resulting in conflicts amongst families involved as to whom the man chooses to marry.”
