ZSCA Applauds Johanne Marange Church’s Stance Against Child Marriage

By Evans Jona

MUTARE – The Zimbabwe Senior Citizens Association (ZSCA) has applauded the Johanne Marange Apostolic Church for taking a strong position against child marriage under the leadership of its new High Priest, Nimrod Taguta. The High Priest has urged congregants to respect national laws that prohibit the marriage of individuals below the age of 18.

ZSCA Chairman Patrick Ndlovu described the church’s commitment as a crucial step toward curbing the deep-rooted practice of early child marriage within religious and rural communities.

“We are happy with the church’s position. It is encouraging to see such influential institutions joining the fight to end early child marriages,” said Ndlovu. “We urge all elders to lead by example, avoid abusing children through forced marriages, and instead build a legacy of protecting them from exploitation.”

ZSCA Project Coordinator Thomas Chimutanda added that Taguta’s leadership demonstrates the positive role young leaders can play in advancing constitutional principles and human rights.

Although Zimbabwe’s laws prohibit child marriage, enforcement remains a major concern, especially in rural areas and within conservative religious sects.

According to UNICEF Zimbabwe (2023), 32% of girls are married before age 18, and 5% before the age of 15. These figures are among the highest in Southern Africa and point to systemic gaps in protection and enforcement.

A 2023 Girls Not Brides global report also flagged Zimbabwe as one of the countries where early marriages are still prevalent despite legal frameworks. The organization emphasized that religious and customary laws are often used to justify underage unions, particularly in apostolic sects.

Plan International Zimbabwe’s 2023 “State of Child Rights” report further reveals that Manicaland Province, where the Johanne Marange Church is based, records some of the highest child marriage rates in the country, over 40% among girls under 18.

Meanwhile, Human Rights Watch (HRW) has repeatedly urged the Government of Zimbabwe to tighten monitoring systems, especially in communities where religious practices conflict with national law. In a 2022 report, HRW called for “community-level interventions and stronger accountability for institutions that facilitate or conceal child marriages.”

Zimbabwe’s Constitutional Court outlawed child marriage in 2016, declaring all marriages involving persons under 18 unconstitutional. The Marriages Act [Chapter 5:15], amended in 2022, reinforces this, criminalizing child marriage and setting penalties for anyone who aids, arranges, or participates in such unions.

However, rights groups continue to report challenges with implementation, citing limited awareness in remote areas, patriarchal religious traditions, and insufficient law enforcement as key barriers.

As one of Zimbabwe’s largest and most influential apostolic churches, the Johanne Marange Church has previously come under scrutiny from human rights organizations for allegedly protecting perpetrators of early marriages. The new leadership’s stance is being viewed as a potential turning point in aligning faith-based practices with child rights.

“This is the leadership we need to see, not just within churches, but across all sectors of society. Protecting children is a collective responsibility,” said Ndlovu.

Child protection advocates say that while public declarations are welcome, they must be backed by sustained, transparent action.

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