Moffat Mungazi
Ray Bande
Senior Reporter
NATIONAL Aids Council provincial manager for Manicaland, Mr Artwel Shiridzinomwa has urged community leaders to fully engage men and boys in the fight against sexual abuse cases.
Mr Shiridzinomwa made this call yesterday while addressing a week-long engagement meeting with traditional leaders of Mutasa district at Hauna Business Centre in Honde Valley.
The engagement meeting, which began on Monday, will equip 17 Headmen and 248 village heads from different parts of the district with knowledge on their responsibilities in combating child marriages and all forms of child abuse.
The training is running under the theme: NotInMyVillage.
Speaking during the meeting, Mr Shiridzinomwa said traditional leaders must return to their villages and implement the life-changing lessons learned during the engagement meeting.
“Now that we have undergone this engagement, we expect to see a tangible impact from the lessons imparted here. It can no longer be business as usual. We will no longer tolerate traditional leaders who condone child marriages. Instead, we expect you to help maintain order in our communities, fulfilling both your watchdog role and dispute resolution responsibilities.
“The equation is simple – when we reduce child marriages and sexual abuse of young women, the resources previously allocated to combating these issues can be redirected towards other development needs, including your allowances as traditional leaders,” he said.
Online Reporter