SIKHO NTSHOBANE
Poverty, unemployment and inequality which plague the O R Tambo district continue to perpetuate the vulnerability of young girls to such practices as ukuthwala, according to district mayor Nomakhosazana Meth. But she also believes more needs to be done to help unravel more of the problem.
"Reporting is still a challenge. We don't have proper statistics ,"she said while addressing a Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians gender advocacy dialogue held in Mthatha earlier today.
The district municipality recently highlighted that the problem of forced marriages had cropped up in Mqanduli earlier this year.
At the time, it was announced that three such cases had been reported to law-enforcement authorities.
Meth said ukuthwala had robbed many young girls of their youths.
She also revealed that many women still suffered from gender-based violence in the district.
"These 13-year-olds are not ready to be wives. Being forced to marry older men also leads to health problems for them. It doesn't make sense. It's part of abusing young girls."
However, she said they were excited that the dialogue was hosted in the district as it would afford them a chance to come up with strategies to combat such problems.
Imbumba Yamakhosikazi Akomkhulu president Queen Madosini Ndamase said the only way to fight abuse of women and young girls was to empower them.
"Some of them are engulfed in domestic violence but don't even realise it is abuse anymore," she added.
Mayor calls for more action to combat 'ukuthwala'
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