LUSAKA, June 30 (Xinhua) -- Zambia's Cabinet has approved the publication and introduction in Parliament of the Marriage (Amendment) Bill, 2023, which intends to raise the legal age for marriage as part of efforts to tackle early marriages, a government spokesperson said Friday.
Makozo Chikote, the acting chief government spokesperson, said in a statement that there is a need to amend the Marriage Act, the country's current law governing marriage, in order to align it with the provisions of the Constitution of Zambia and the Children's Code Act of 2022, by revising the age for a void marriage from 16 years to 19 years.
The Marriage Act, Chapter 50 of the Laws of Zambia, is inconsistent with the provisions of the Constitution of Zambia and the Children's Code Act of 2022 in relation to the age of maturity and the prohibition of child marriage, he said.
He said in the statement released following a Cabinet meeting held Wednesday that the Cabinet noted the need to protect the girl children from early marriages, hence having such a law in place will help deal with culprits.
