Bulawayo Grapples With Teenage Pregnancies, Church...

Bulawayo Grapples With Teenage Pregnancies, Churches Pledge to Help

Zim Now Reporter

More than 500 teenage pregnancies have been recorded in Bulawayo since the start of the year, prompting urgent appeals for stronger partnerships between government and faith-based organisations to curb early pregnancies and rising drug abuse among youths.

The figures were disclosed by Bulawayo Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Judith Ncube during the weekend ordination of 52 bishops from the Council of Churches in Africa at the Large City Hall.

Ncube described the situation as alarming, revealing that the youngest mother was below 13 years old.

“The future of our children is in danger,” she said. “It is a tragedy to imagine someone so young becoming a mother. We must unite to fight this.”

She called on churches to intensify their role in shaping moral behaviour and reinforcing community initiatives to protect young people.

CCA president Rocky Moyo pledged the church’s active involvement in addressing the crisis.

“As a church, we are ready to join hands with the government to fight these scourges destroying our youth,” he said. “We also appeal for support in running our programmes.”

Community leaders also expressed concern about the growing involvement of women in illicit drug networks, with reports that narcotics are now being laced into food products such as cakes to reach minors.

Zanu-PF national commissar Munyaradzi Machacha praised cooperation between the ruling party and religious institutions, saying the alliance was critical in advancing both social stability and national development.