Bunda District Commissioner Lydia Bupilipili has ordered the police to arrest all parents whose school-going daughters got pregnant and chose to end the matter “amicably” with the suspected defilers instead suing them.
Speaking during a training organised for primary school teachers by Ministry of Education and Vocational training on Saturday here, Ms Bupilipili said that schoolgirl pregnancy rate in the district was alarming and that measures need to be taken immediately to check it.
She explained that 86 school girls were found to be pregnant within Nansimo Division in Bunda District alone between January and March. She ordered that relevant authorities should start with the parents from that division so that action on them serve as a lesson to others in the district.
She, however, said that of the number noted by relevant authorities, only 36 cases were reported to the police and that none of them was pursued further for legal action as parents declined to cooperate.
“I have asked the OCD to verify the status of the cases and I was shocked by his response, for he told me that only 36 were reported and not a single suspect has prosecuted,” she explained.
She said that unconfirmed reports have it that there were collusions between headteachers, parents, village leaders and those made the girls pregnant, to cover up matters.
She vowed that government wasn’t won’t sit back and watch on the matter as schoolgirl pregnancies, for its intention is to see to it that all girls, just as it is the case with boys, enjoy education opportunity all the way to university.