Businessman brags about marrying girl (15)

By Tatenda Gapare and Lungile Tshuma

A 60-YEAR-OLD polygamous businessman from Silalatshani in Insiza District has caused a stir in the area after he “married” a 15-year-old girl and vowed that only death could separate them.

The businessman, who has four wives, is bragging that he and the minor are in love and is accusing villagers of being “jealous” after he “married” the girl as his fifth wife.

Million Moyo, a popular businessman in Filabusi who owns supermarkets, says he is “madly in love” with the minor and she too feels the same, hence there is no-one who is going to separate the them.

Sources close to the unfolding drama say the minor’s home is in Gwanda but she was staying in Silalatshani where she is doing her Form Three at Singwango High School.

Moyo is believed to be paying for the minor’s upkeep. Concerned villagers reported the matter to the police which led to the termination of their six-month “marriage” after Moyo was arrested.

Moyo is set to appear in court in Filabusi on 15 September facing a charge of having sex with a minor from March to August this year.

“I proposed love to the girl and she agreed. People are jealous of my relationship with her and they are spreading lies and rumours that I raped her,” said Moyo with a light smile.

He added: “People will not do anything about this issue, she will come and speak for herself. I hate people who go around talking about my personal life. What is it that people will benefit if they know how many wives I have or what I do in life?”

Moyo said he could not add any further information concerning the matter as he had to be advised by his lawyer. He tried to phone his lawyer for permission but his number was not reachable.

Villagers who spoke to Sunday News said justice must take its course because Moyo was destroying the girl’s future.

“How can a grown man like Million have an affair with a Form Three pupil? He has four wives but he goes on to have sexual intercourse with a young girl. Being rich does not mean you should manipulate teenagers but his actions have killed the girl’s future,” complained one villager who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Another villager, Mr Martin Ndlovu of Zhampali, said businesspeople had a tendency of using their money to exploit women and justice should now be enforced to protect the girl child.

“These girls are still young and they are not in a position to make choices on marriage. Moyo is married to many wives and I do not know what he wants from this child who is as good as his grandchild. The girlchild will suffer because of people like Moyo who use money to lure them,” said Mr Ndlovu.

Efforts to get a comment from the victim’s family were fruitless as their mobile numbers were unreachable.

The Marriage Act (Chapter 5:07) provides that a girl between the age of 16 and 18 may, with the joint consent of her mother and father, enter a civil marriage.

The Act prohibits marriage of girls below the age of 16.

However, court rulings are said to be allowing girls as young as 12 to get married, a situation that triggered widespread opposition and calls for realignment of all necessary legislation to ensure child marriages are stopped.

The Zimbabwe Demographic Health Survey (2010-2011) says 33 percent of women aged 20-49 were married before reaching 18 years of age.

The Zimbabwe Multi-Indicator Cluster Survey (2014) reported that about 24,5 percent of girls aged between 15 and 19 years old were already married or in a union, compared to 1,7 percent of boys in the same age group.

Research has indicated that teenagers are vulnerable to acquiring sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including HIV.

Research has shown that the majority of adolescent girls are involved in sexual relationships with men who are much older than them (trans-generational sex or partner-age disparity) and are usually unable to negotiate safe sexual choices. Sunday News