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The landmark ruling by the Government to outlaw child marriages before the age of 18 has attracted mixed feeling amongst the young people. As usual Cool Lifestyle lets you hear it direct from the horse’s mouth:

Yes the move will make a huge difference because most teenagers are scared of the wrath of the law. We abide by it simply because we cannot bear the punishment. This step will protect teenagers from indulging in sex before marriage. This will also bring sanity on social morality which will eventually pave a way for HIV free generation and unwanted pregnancy.

Honourable Councillor Farai Musadaidzwa (19), U6, Herentals CBD.

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I don’t think it will make any significant difference because different media platforms that are being used by the youth have taken over to control their behaviour. They can indulge in sexual activities and do it with whoever they choose to do it with. Most teens imitate what they see on social media and civilisation is continuing to grow and Government policies will always come up because that the job of the government to come up with laws.

Prince Chinyadza (19), Pace College

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I don’t think this will make much of a difference because many young people are exposed to the social media through their phones which prompts them to want to experiment on what they see and what they share. This therefore means that even if the law is put to work it will only work for a fraction yet many are sexually active. Also it is not the older people who are getting into marriages with young girls but young people amongst themselves are falling pregnant and end up in early marriages of which the law cannot be stiff on these young people.

Melany Kunaka (16), Avenues Education College.

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The difference is the same because I think the law was put in place for crimes that are yet to be committed. This means that a lot of young people are going into sexual activities with less education about it and they will find out that it is a crime after they have actually done it. Also the transmission of HIV cannot be stopped by the law. Young people only need to be educated on different protective methods to make sure when they indulge they use safe methods of protecting themselves.

Ignatious Sande (16), Prince Edward High School

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It will make a difference because early marriages are so many nowadays. Parents are getting their children to be married at a very early stage because of poverty especially the girl child. This is due to lack of education even on the part of the parents. Most of these young girls will also get HIV at an early state so the law will protect the girl child which is good and other people who were about to commit the same crimes will be scared to do so. The outlawing makes us the children as well as the parents see the importance of educating.

Belinda Gufu (18), Trust Academy

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I think it does not make any difference since children nowadays do not abide by the rule and regulations of the country or society. I think it all depends with us the children how we value ourselves and our future. Our life is in our hands therefore we are the custodians of our future. It’s high time that we start to value our bodies and think of the future of the unplanned children before we indulge in sex.

Calvin Muchingami (17), Churchill Boys High School

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To some extent it does have a difference because I think men will be afraid to have love relationships with young girls fearing to be jailed and by so doing there will be low cases of HIV in young children and also unwanted pregnancies because I would like to believe that it is these older men that sleep with us young girls and infect us with the deadly virus and also have unwanted pregnancies.

Shalom Jena (18), Glen Norah 2 High School.

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To tell the truth rules have always been there but just a few take heed of them, with technology these days children they want to experience whatever they watch on their mobile phone, computers, tabloids etc. As it stands right now children tend to regret the consequences of their actions after they have already experienced whatever they want to experience. So it’s difficult to say that the ruling will make a difference on the issue of HIV and unwanted pregnancies.

Anesu Mashange. (18), Kuwadzana High

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When two people have sex they don’t necessarily need to be adults, these days a boy and a girl can just agree to have sex without even making so much effort so law will not do much to combat the problem of contracting HIV and early child marriages.

Thabo Mhlope (17), Trust Academy

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I believe that outlawing child marriages will make a huge difference. Many girls were being married at the age of 15 to 17. Men over the age of 18 now have fear for the new law and this can reduce the spread of STIs. Under aged girls will avoid being pregnant because if they register their pregnancy at different hospitals, police might investigate if the one who impregnated the girl is above 18 or not.

Dylan Mambinge (18), Kuwadzana High

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The rapidly changing technology means the law will be so difficult to enforce. The different genres of music and downloading of explicit media on the internet has transformed many teens morals. Our young sisters below the age of 18 have broken ties with their families under the influence of these forces and end up partying in places such as night clubs were they indulge in sex.

Claymore Mareya (18), Kuwadzana High School.

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Children will always be children so the issue of law will not even ring a bell in their minds. However the men will be scared of marrying children under the age that the law has forbidden.

Oscar Sande (18), Excell College.

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