Zambia: Chief Cooma of the Tonga people in Choma District has asked the government of Zambia to take strict actions against cases of defilement. The officials have shared that the police force of the district needs to be given the power to respond quickly and affectively.
The traditional leader said that the police force should be given access to transport facility. This will ease their movement and enable them to address cases of defilement with more nuance.
The traditional leader believes that the cases of defilement and assault need quick response and intervention. He acknowledged that the if there is any delays in the investigations to stat, it can contaminate evidence.
Due to this lack of evidence, the criminals can walk scot free and leave the victims without justice. The traditional leader also noted that there have been cases of school going children eloping. Issues like teenage pregnancies are also a major cause of concern for his area.
Chief Cooma made these remarks in Lusaka on Saturday during a telephonic interview
The traditional has been working diligently in partnership with the Police to address this issue. However, the police work has been affected by the lack of transport facilities which is crucial for their work.
“For defilement, you have to act in time so that the doctor can examine and verify the findings. Once you delay a day, or week, the evidence will have been compromised,” he stressed.
Further, Chief Chikanta of the Tonga people in Kalomo District of Southern Province has also shared his own views. He called for people to be educated against myths that encourage defilement of children.
He has informed the media that some traditional healers mislead their clients and encourage cases of children being abused.
“There is need to mobilise stakeholders for sensitisation. Most people are ignorant and actually believe that defiling a child can cure their disease.” He said.
Recently, the nation has been witnessing a serious rise in defilement cases across the different regions. The people of the country are extremely concerned with the situation and have asked the government to respond affectively.