—Chief Chiwanangala of the Bisa speaking people of Chilubi district has embarked on a massive sensitisation campaign against early marriages in the area.
The traditional leader told ZANIS that issues of early marriages have reached alarming levels in his chiefdom.
Chief Chiwanangala further explained that so far 153 school going children aged between 14 and 16 years have been married off by their parents and have since stopped school.
He said it is for this reason that he was prompted to go flat out and start sensitising his subjects on the dangers of such practice in the area.
Chief Chiwanangala mentioned some of the villages he toured as Kanshishe, Katanata, Chaba, Matipa, Kawasa, and Mpupo.
The traditional leader said he was not going to rest until all the culprits are brought to book in the area.
He noted that it was very unfair to marry off girl children at an expense of denying them a bright future.
Meanwhile the traditional leader has since called on the organisation involved in the fight against the scourge not only to be going in urban areas, but to be reaching rural areas as well.