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Open9-year-old Tsholotsho Girl Returns To School
The nine-year-old girl from Tsholotsho District who gave birth in November last year was expected to return to school and resume her education when the 2023 first term commenced this week.
Acting Matabeleland North Provincial Social Development Officer Golden Mapanga told the Sunday News that the Government will cater for her fees and other educational requirements.
Mapanga said the girl was returning to an undisclosed school where she would do Grade Four.
The school will not be disclosed as a means of protecting the girl from discrimination. Said Mapanga:
According to the care plan devised by the probation officer, the nine-year-old is returning to school at the beginning of the first term to continue with her education.
It is our mandate and responsibility to administer the Children’s Act so that this child gets all the needs due to her hence she is returning to school.
Case conferencing was done over this matter. When we case conference, we bring together responsible stakeholders who make up what we call a Best Interests Determination Panel.
These people devise a plan of how a particular issue can be dealt with and with the Tsholotsho case this is what happened, the stakeholders met and discussed how to handle the matter.
Alternative care is available for the nine-year-old in the future which is institutional or foster care and as schools open the child will be in alternative care.
The Government is going to pay for her school fees and other needs that are required.
We are trying, by all means, to protect this child and ensure she is not stigmatised hence she will not return to her old school but to a new one at a safe location.
The girl’s father was arrested and spent several weeks in jail on suspicion of raping the minor but was later exonerated by DNA tests conducted after the baby was born.
The DNA test results showed that the nine-year-old was impregnated by her 13-year-old cousin. | The Sunday News
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