The late 14-year-old Delight Masomeke, who died on Tuesday in Buhera after labour complications, was in a polygamous marriage involving another girl of her age, it has emerged.
Delight, who will be laid to rest today at her family home in Chivhu, dropped out of school and got married before completing Grade Seven, according to NewsDay Weekender.
Her husband from the Johane Marange sect is currently on the run.
Zimbabwean laws criminalise the marriage of girls below the age of 18.
Police would release a detailed statement on the matter, NewsDay reported citing national police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi. He is quoted as saying:
We are yet to receive a full report from police in Manicaland,” Nyathi said. “Once we get the information we will release a detailed statement.
An unnamed police source told the publication that investigations carried out so far revealed that Delight’s husband had three wives. The source said:
Delight was the second wife and the third wife is 14 years old also. However, her husband’s whereabouts are still unknown. He resided in Chivhu together with his three wives.
Johanne Marange sect allows polygamous marriages but claims that it does not allow child marriages.
In 2021 when Anna Machaya, another 14-year-old girl died during childbirth at a church shrine, the church released a statement saying it does not allow child marriages. Reads in part the statement earlier published by Pindula News:
But, we want to make it clear that our church abides and respect the laws of our government.
Our leader High Priest Noah Taguta (the late) and the followers of the church, we all respect the laws that govern Zimbabwe. We have high respect to our government and as a church, we also have our laws that clearly state that girls under the age of 18 are not married.
We make it a point that in every preaching sermon, our priests always preach the word against child marriages. It is one of our church doctrines that is against the practise of child marriages.
Rights activists have raised a red flag on the increase in maternal deaths involving children and underage women from the sect.