End child marriages, now!

It is heartbreaking to hear that in this day and era, there are still underaged girls who are being married off! It should be a disgrace in a democratic Africa, especially in a state that boasts of 41 years of independence that a 14-year-old girl is someone’s wife. That a 14-year-old girl died giving birth, why? She’s just a child herself. She’s a minor who is supposed to be protected. Someone should be held responsible for her death.

What will it take to completely eradicate such gross human rights violations which are at times passed on as religious beliefs!

• Sharpeville teens arrested for rape of elderly woman
• Chaos at Boksburg prison as inmates are attacked while playing soccer
• Nyati Eco Game Park, a review
• Another night at the Sedibeng Municipality offices for HIV/Aids Educators
• Sedibeng District HIV/ Aids Ward-based educators left in the cold

Social media is abuzz over the death of 14-year-old Memory Machaya who passed away during child birth and whose death, no-one has been arrested for. At 14, she had no business being in labour.

Labour is for women, not girls. I remember when I gave birth to my last child almost 13 years ago, I cried so much and vowed to never ever get pregnant again. It was the most painful experience ever. And I was in a hospital in lovely Johannesburg. A luxury that young Memory was never allowed.

Some are enraged that the police are only acting because of the uproar on social media. Why should they wait for social media to react?

Enough is enough of child marriages! This should end and it should end, now. Sign a petition below for justice for Memory.

http://chng.it/DPtZZz2sP6