‘Zanu PF Incompetence Cause, Girl Child Poverty, School Dropout, Fuelling HIV’-MDC

THE incompetence of the Zanu PF regime, epitomised by the failing economy is driving the girl child into poverty leaving many exposed to sexual abuse, the opposition MDC party has warned.

President Robert Mugabe’s party has been in power for 35 years since independence in 1980 but the country has grappled with a serious economic crisis over the past decade and a half.

The Welshman Ncube-led party said Zanu PF’s continued stay in power has become punitive to the girl child, forcing many to drop out of school as well as go into early marriages.

MDC woman’s assembly leader Thandiwe Mlilo said this in an interview with NewZimbabwe.com as the world commemorated the International Day of the Girl Child.

The unremitting economic crunch has driven millions out of the country while those who remained struggle to survive with unemployment estimated at more than 85 percent.

“This has resulted in our girls being easy targets for sexual violence, sexual abuse and at high risk of contracting HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases,” Mlilo told NewZimbabwe.com.

“It has failed to provide an enabling environment that protects and promotes the girl child.

“In the MDC understand that when a girl child is kept from achieving her potential it is a loss not only for the girl, but also for her family, community and country.”

Mugabe’s Zanu PF party denies responsibility for the economic crisis, blaming instead sanctions imposed by the West to punish rights abuses and electoral fraud.

Critics however, accuse the veteran leader of economic incompetence and also failing to deal with corruption in his administration.

Chaotic and violent implementation of the land reform programme also adversely impacted the agro-based economy while the seizure of 51 percent shareholdings in foreign companies is also said to be keeping investors way from Zimbabwe.

Mlilo said the government needed to come up with policies to empower the girl child through education, as well as protect them from violence and abuse. source-newzimbabwe