Senators in Zimbambwe have gone a notch higher in their quest to end child marriages by demanding that Government enacts laws that approve castration as punishment for anyone who sleeps with a child below the age of 18 years.

They also insisted that parents or guardians who accept lobola from men who marry under-age children should face prosecution together with the culprits.

Legislators were debating a motion by MDC-T senator for Midlands Mrs Lilian Timveous, calling for the enactment and enforcement of laws raising the age of marriage from 16 to 18 years for both boys and girls.

MDC-T senator for Matabeleland North, Ms Rosemary Nyathi said castration was the only deterrent measure against pedophiles.

“When goats are a problem, they are castrated. So all those men who target children should also be castrated because they are rapists. Those who say 12-year-olds are wives are rapists who must be castrated. One cannot die from castration so they should live to regret their actions. Traditional leaders must ensure that parents who allow children who are under 18 years old to be married must be arrested together with those men,” she said.

ZANU-PF senator for Matabeleland South, Alma Mkhwebu supported the call for raising marriage age to 18 years.

“It should be made mandatory for both boys and girls that they should marry when they have reached at least 18 years. The debate has concentrated on girls only but boys also need to be protected because there are some who are marrying older women who are good enough to be their mothers or grandmothers because they are wealthy. We don’t want those boys to be abused, so they should also be protected,” said Mkhwebu.

Senate President Edna Madzongwe hailed Mkhwebu for bringing a new dimension to the debate by also talking about the need to protect boys who are under 18 years old.