Three people arrested for arranging to marry off a Form 4 student in Geita
What you need to know:
Early marriages have no benefits other than accelerating population growth and decreasing women’s participation in the labour force, however, they remain a normal occurrence in most communities across Tanzania.
Geita. Three people are being held by police for questioning in connection with an attempt to receive dowry for a Form Four student at Lwamgasa Secondary School.
Those arrested include the girl's father, Kuyeyema Malongo (78) and the facilitators for the dowry receiving ceremony, Mr Ishel Makeregese (50) and Mengi Edward (30).
The Geita Regional Police Commander, Mr Lotson Mponjoli said on Saturday, June 1, 2019 that police have also arrested the father of the 'bridegroom' Mr Elias Charles.
Mr Malongo is alleged to have received six cows and two goats as dowry for his daughter, who is a student, to marry Mr Elias Charles' son.
Police have launched a manhunt for Mr Charles' son who was to marry the student.
According to Mr Mponjoli, working on tip off from the girl's teachers, police went to Mr Malongo's house at Busanda where they foiled the ceremony.
She said upon seeing that her parents were forcing her into marriage, the girl reported the issue to her teachers.
"She asked her teachers to help, threatening that she would rather die than to get into a forced-arranged marriage," said Mr Mponjoli.
Though early marriages have no benefits other than accelerating population growth and decreasing women’s participation in the labour force, they remain a normal occurrence in most communities across Tanzania.
In Tanzania marrying a primary and secondary school student is regarded as rape and may land one into serious legal problems, including a 30-years jail term upon conviction.
