A new law that will see parents getting punished for their delinquent children’s crimes has been met with open objections by Zimbabweans.
The Children’s Amendment Act gazetted by President Mnangagwa last week will see parents getting punished if their children engage in crimes.
A parent who fails to stop their child from committing a crime is punishable under Section 13 of the Act in the same way as if they were the ones who did it. It reads:
“Any person, including a parent or guardian of a child who—
(a) encourages a child to commit an offence; or
(b) trains a child in the commission of an offence; or
(c) knowingly provides a child with facilities to commit an offence; or
(d) being a parent or guardian of a child fails to take reasonable steps to ensure that the child does not commit an offence where the parent or guardian of the child was in a position to take such steps;
shall be guilty of an offence and liable to the penalties that could have been imposed on him or her had he been guilty of the offence that the child committed.”
Zimbabweans online expressed mixed reactions to the amendment. Check some of them below.
Joshua:
“They came with their Western laws forbidding parents to punish these ama2k. Now they are causing problems. They want to hold them accountable for it as well… Them lawmakers should account for their actions.”
Ronika:
“Tangai manosunga vabereki vevanhu varikuba goridhe tione tozoenda mberi.”
Carrington:
“Hakuna mtemo wakadaro, mwana akawanikwa achitengesa madrugs nyangwe vabereki vasingazive imhosva yemubereki here?”
Tendai:
“Hakuna mubereki angada kuti mwana wake apare mhosva.mubereki wose anoshuvira zvakanaka kuvana vake.”
Nadia:
“Ko kana usina kumukurudzira aita zvemusoro wake.”
Morris:
“Ndezvekupenga izvo muri kusiya vanhu varikutengesa ma drugs uko ,Havasu kusungwa sei 2 days vadzoka vachipa vana vedu mitoriro motaura zvekusunga mubereki ,kudhara ikoko.”
