GOVERNMENT TO HARMONIZE CHILD RELATED LAWS

by Ian Soko

President Lazarus Chakwera says he is committed to ensuring that there is harmonization of child-related laws. 

Chakwera’s remarks come against a background of some child protection laws that are in direct contradiction with the supreme law of the land, the Constitution. 

Through the Director of Communication at State House Sean Kampondeni, the President said he is personally touched that the country’s child protection laws fall short of speaking with one voice. 

This comes in light that some laws   like the penal code, for example considers anyone below the age of 16 as a child while the constitution puts the adult benchnark at 18.

The Child Care, Protection and Justice Act regrettably condones child marriages as it only outlaws forced marriages.

In this regard, various child protection  stakeholders have pin pointed that harmonization remains the best route possible for the country to have not just solid but also pieces of legislation that communicate with each other.

But speaking during Monday’s weekly press briefing, Sean Kampondeni said the president is committed to aligning all laws so that there are no gray area.

However Kampondeni could not hide that review and harmonisation process is not something that canhappen overnight.