By LILLIAN BANDA –

MARY Mwale (not real name) is a sad woman. The father of her three-year-old son deserted her when he discovered she was pregnant.

After five years of being in what Mary considered a stable relationship with this man, she fell pregnant.

That was around June 2009.

The man was very furious when she told him about her condition.

He complained that a child would be a distraction for him as he was busy with studies at the time.

That was the beginning of the end of their relationship.

The man gave her K400 and asked her to terminate the pregnancy but she did not and instead used the money to buy clothes for the baby. 

He has never offered any form of support since despite having a well paying job now.

Mary works as a volunteer at an institution for abandoned children. She claims that the allowance she gets is too little to sustain herself and the child.

“I cannot afford a descent life for my son,” she laments.  

Willful neglect of children is one of the major social problems today. Though common in most communities, cases of child neglect are rife in low-income environments.

However, the Local courts are never short of child maintenance or child support cases.

A visit to Matero and Chawama local courts revealed that child maintenance cases are among the prominent cases brought up.

And a report by Zambia Civic Education Association (ZCEA) also

reveals that cases most prevalently dealt with at the organisation’s child friendly desks are child maintenance after dissolution of marriage or union but more especially for children born out of wedlock.

Various reports suggest the main culprits are men who father children but do not render any support for their upkeep.

This leaves women with the sole responsibility of raising these children.

The Affiliation and Maintenance of Children’s Act CAP 64 of the laws of Zambia and Section 169 of the Penal Code are pieces of legislation that are used to compel defaulters to render child support, with the former being applied mostly in cases involving the maintenance of children born out of wedlock.

But what exactly is child neglect?

“It ranges from denying a child basic needs like shelter, food and clothing to dumping of a child. 

Under Section 169 of the Penal Code CAP 87 of the laws of Zambia, willful child neglect is a criminal offence, punishable by imprisonment or a fine or both.

“Any parent, guardian, or any other person who is in charge of a child commits an offence when they willfully fail to provide for that child,” explains Child Protection Unit (CPU) National Coordinator Joseph Simuchembu.

Mr Simuchembu explains that extent of the obligation of child maintenance is based on the standard of living, income and means of the persons or persons obliged to render child support.

He points out those most common forms of child neglect cases are ones that involve divorced parents.

“The obligation to support a child does not rest solely on the father but on both parents. Most women are economically disadvantaged and men seem to be doing better.

Cases were both parents are absolutely not able to support their children are referred to the social welfare department,” Mr Simuchembe says

Mr Simuchembu also revealed that child neglect is one of the major social issues that the Unit is working to address.

He adds that child neglect has contributed to the escalating numbers of street children, juvenile delinquency, and school dropouts.

He says most people in low-income environments and in rural areas have little or no knowledge as to what constitutes child neglect hence the need for stakeholders to scale sensitisation efforts in these areas.

Mr Simuchembu says CPU, which is a section of the Zambia Police Service stands ready to work with communities in an effort to enhance the promotion and protection of children’s rights.

He also stressed the need for communities to come up with initiatives that provide durable solutions to issues of child abuse in general and child neglect in particular.

And a snap survey conducted in Lusaka’s Misisi compound revealed that child neglect is one of the main challenges the community is facing.

Some parents are allegedly encouraging their children to go and beg on the streets so as to supplement family incomes.

“Some of these parents are capable of providing for their children but chose not too. They instead spend money on alcohol and indulge in illicit activities. Parents are failing these childen.

That is why boys begin pick pocketing at an early. They eventually become members of little gangs that terrorise the community, while young girls are forced into early marriages,” laments Dorothy Mwanza a resident of Misisi compound.

She was, however, quick to commend officers from CPU for conducting monthly talks on children’s rights in the community, which she says are yielding positive results as evidenced by increase in the number of people taking interest in reporting incidences of child neglect.

The CPU conducts monthly sensitisation talks on children’s rights in selected compounds.

This is done with the support of Child Protection Groups comprising community members.

According to a 2013 national gender crime statistics report by the Victim Support Unit (VSU) of the Zambia Police Service, there were 2701 reported cases of ’neglecting to provide’ under which category willful child neglect falls.