Ngomnyaka ka1995 emhlanganweni oweWorld Conference on Women eBeijing kwele China, amazwe omhlaba wonke jikelele athatha isinqumo sokuthi kumele kuvikelwe njalo kuthuthukiswe abesifazane labantwana abangamankazana.
Isinqumo seBeijing Declaration and Platform for Action salandelwa ngesinye njalo esethulwa yinhlanganiso eyeUnited Nations ngomnyaka ka2011 esokuthi kumele kuthakazelelwe usuku lwabantwana abangamankazana olweInternational Day of the Girl Child ngoMfumfu minyaka yonke.
Abantu abanengi eZimbabwe bathi kuqakathekile ukuthuthukisa abantwana abangamankazana ababhekane lenhlupho ezinjengokwendiswa besakhula, ukusebenza gadalala emakhaya, ukudlwengulwa lokunye okubenza bengakhuli ngemfanelo.
Omunye wabafisa ukuthi kuvikelwe njalo kuthuthukiswe amantombaza nguNkosazana Ruth Ndiweni, ofunda koBulawayo.
“I-International Day of the Girl Child lilanga eliqakathekileyo kithi thina abantwana abangamankazana ngoba sifundiswa ngamalungelo ethu ukuthi thina singababoni ukuze singahlukumezeki emphakathini. Isikhathi esinengi abantwana abangamankazana bahlangana lodlame leGBV ngakho lapho lithuba lethu lokuthi sikhangele amalungelo ethu asivikelayo.”
Lokhu kusekelwa nguNkosikazi Golden Tshuma ohlala koBulawayo, othi kudingeka ukuba abantwana abangamankazana bathole amathuba alingana lawabafana.
“Lapha sikhuluma ngokuthi umntwana oyinkazana uqakatheke kanganani, yilo ilanga lokuthi sikunanzelele lokhu. I-theme yabo ithi ‘My voice our equal future’ lokhu-ke kutsho ukuthi ilizwi lakhe kumele lilalelwe ukuze aphumelele. Nxa sikhuluma ngokuphumelela kwakhe sitsho ukuthi kumele kunakwe laye ukuthi athole amathuba alungeleyo lomtwana ongumfana.”
UNkosikazi Patricia Tshabalala, olilunga lekhomithi yezakhamizi eyeProgressive Bulawayo Residents’ Association, uthi abantwana abangamankazana abawazi amalungelo abo.
“Amantombazana vele awavikelekanga, baphakathi kobunzima ngoba bengawazi amalungelo abo laba abantwana kudinga ukuthi ngabe bayafundiswa. Nxa ngikhangele mina ngokwami abavikelekanga baphaphama esephakathi kobunzima lapho yikho aqala khona ukuthi avuleke amehlo. Lapha kutsho ukuthi kufuna ukulungiswa kumele abantwana bancediswe kakhulu.”
Igqwetha elilwela amalungelo abomama elisebenza kuhlanganiso eyeZimbabwe Lawyers for Womens Rights, uNkosikazi Sethulo Ncube, uthi abantwana abangamankazana bavikelwe yisisekelo sombuso welizwe.
“IConstitution yeZimbabwe iyakhangela ukuthi abantwana bavikeleka njani, ibanike amalungelo aphathelane labo. Okuhle yikuthi iConstitution idlulela phambili ithi umuntu ongayenda ngumuntu oleminyaka ephezu kwe 18 years okutsho ukuthi leyi eminye imithetho enjenge Marriage Act ekade ivume umtnwana ole16 years angatshada kodwa lokhu akusavunyelwanga. Nxa ngikhangela imithetho ephathelane lezamacansi iyabavikela njalo ukungena emacansini njalo umthetho oweZimbabwe ithi iHigh Court yiyo iupper guardian yabantwana, yebo lingabazali kodwa inkundla enkulu yiyo elamandla amakhulu ebantwaneni bonke.”
UNkosikazi Ncube ugcizelele esithi kulokunye okuvimba ukuthuthuka kwamankazana.
“Lokhe kusilela kwezinye indawo ezitshiyeneyo njengoba lakhathesi kutshiwo ukuthi kulezinye izindawo lapho abantwana abalokhe beseyiswa. Kodwa engingakutsho yikuthi sonke silomlandu ukuthi lapho okonakale khona abantu kumele bathathe inyathelo ba repote. Okunye yikuba imithetho ayikabi aligned to the Constitution khonokhu kuyayenza ama gaps adala ukuba kungabi lula to implement ngenxa yalokhu.”
Akulamicimbi ebiqoqwe zinhlangothi zikahulumende koBulawayo namuhla eyokunanza usuku lwabantwana abangamankazana.
