Online Reporter
Ray Bande
Senior Reporter
THE cross-border perpetrators of child marriages and sexual abuse against minors are finally facing justice, as law enforcement agencies on both sides of the Zimbabwe-Mozambique border have joined forces to bring offenders to account.
For years, individuals staying along the border in areas such as Honde Valley, Nyanga, Chimanimani, and Chipinge have exploited their proximity to the boundary to evade prosecution for sexual offences against minors.
Perpetrators would often flee to the neighbouring country or relocate the minors to avoid detection.
This issue came to light during a NotInMyVillage outreach campaign held last week at Makwara Village, under Headman Mandeya in Honde Valley.
The campaign is aimed at educating traditional leaders and villagers on the legal implications of violating children’s sexual rights.
The NotInMyVillage initiative also seeks to eradicate child marriages and sexual abuse in remote communities by engaging traditional leaders and actively involving male community members in the effort.
Acting Manicaland provincial police spokesperson, Assistant Inspector Wiseman Chinyoka, said: “We regularly hold bilateral meetings with our Mozambican counterparts to address issues such as child sexual offences, among other problematic issues along the border. The joint cross-border policing approach has been instrumental in ensuring that perpetrators cannot seek refuge in either country after committing a crime.”
In an interview on the sidelines of the NotInMyVillage campaign, Headman Cosmas Sakupwanya, who was representing Chief Senator Mutasa, said: “We now have a more effective approach to manage child sexual offence cases along the border. We are working together with our Mozambican counterparts to combat this evil.
“Perpetrators of child marriages and sexual offences against minors will have no refuge. We have made it clear to the community that fighting these crimes is everyone’s responsibility, and we expect all individuals to play their part in reporting such cases,” he said.
Headman Tonderai Mandeya also echoed similar sentiments.
“Living along the Zimbabwe-Mozambique border, we previously had a culture where individuals would impregnate and marry minors from this side of the border, and when investigations began, they would simply relocate the child to a relative in Mozambique.
“This would create challenges in investigating cases, and sometimes, due to lack of evidence, cases would die a natural death. However, we have strengthened our efforts, and are now collaborating with our counterparts in Mozambique to bring perpetrators of child sexual offences to justice,” he said.
Commenting on the progress of the NotInMyVillage campaign, National Aids Council Manicaland provincial manager, Mr Artwell Shiridzinomwa, said: “We are pleased with the progress made in marginalised communities through this ongoing campaign. The objective is to ensure that everyone everywhere understands that it is our collective responsibility to reject child marriages by reporting such cases to law enforcement and community authorities. The response has been overwhelming, even in the most marginalised communities.”
