Marrying off daughter (15) backfires

Sheillah Mapani Herald Reporter
A 39-year-old Domboshava man has been arrested for allegedly trying to marry off his 15-year-old daughter to a church-mate. The man appeared before Harare magistrate Ms Josephine Sande facing charges of contravening Section 94 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act (Chapter 9:23). He was remanded to November 7 on $20 bail.

The prosecutor Mr Sebastian Mutizirwa alleged that sometime in March last year, the man, who cannot be identified on account that the victim is a minor, pledged to marry off the complainant to an unidentified church-mate, whom she turned down. The man subsequently made another agreement with a different church member who on October 22 this year, arrived at the complainant’s house to claim her as his new wife. Upon discovering her father’s pact with the man, the complainant ran away from home and spent the whole night in the nearby mountains. The matter came to light when the minor recounted her ordeal to one Headman Munyawiri, who later reported the case to the police.