Monday, September 10, 2007

Divorce and Child support

In Zambia, as in many other countries divorce is a difficult process, especially when there are children involved. In the west, the United States for example, the department of family and child protection services ensures that, the needs of the children involved are adequately met by both parents, especially the father. It is fairly common, for the department to seize the income of fathers that neglect to cater, for needs of their children. In Zambia, the judicial system provides the only platform for redress, when a father neglects to provide for his children. However the court system is not easily accessible, especially for rural women. It is also plagued by the following;
i) An overwhelming back log of criminal and non child related cases,
ii) Lack of institutional capacity to enforce and monitor its alimony decisions.
iii) Corruption

This desperate yet, unholy attempt by the woman in the story below to sell her child; is no option any mother should ever have recourse to. It is also, the most clear and urgent call to revamp a system that has so miserably failed to protect children.

A 23-year old woman of Kabanga village in Samfya has confessed to having attempted to sell her two-year-old son for K3 million to a businessman because of poverty.
Marjorie Nkandu said she decided to sell her two-year-old son because she was failing to provide for him and his other two siblings.
She said she started having problems to support her children after divorcing, her husband early this year. The single mother said does not receive any support from her former husband or family.
ZNBC (http://www.znbc.co.zm/media/news/viewnews.cgi?category=8&id=1189250376

1 comment:

Unknown said...

What we need in our beautiful country is the overhauling of not only the judicial system, but the entire governance system to bring it in line with modern global trends of running such issues as child care.
The biggest problem is that our legislators, lawyers and even the activists, are in the forefront of multiple affairs, divorce and similar vices such that it would be difficult for them to fight them.
Unless we as citizens demand leaders of high calibre and integrity, we will continue witnessing what the woman attempted to do because no one will redress these issues at statute level.