Cephas Shava
Mwenezi- A 26-year-old Mwenezi man is reported to have taken a 12-year-old primary school learner, who is also his relative, as wife before vanishing into thin air with her to an unknown destination.
Ronald Zireva of Chirongedze village under Chief Chitanga allegedly eloped with the Guramatunhu Primary School grade five pupil on January 26, 2022 before taking her to a destination yet to be established.
The two are also believed to be related.
Sources closer to the developments, said the two were last seen at Rutenga Bus Stop claiming to be destined for Harare.
TellZim News caught up with a brother to Ronalds’ father, John Zireva who confirmed the incident saying they had already filed a police report at Rutenga police post.
“We came to realise that the two were allegedly in love after they eloped. What also boggles our minds as a family is that the two are relatives. Ronald is my late younger brother’s son while the minor girl is my sister’s daughter who was residing with her grandmother in a village faraway from where the man was residing,” said Zireva.
He however appealed for any information from anyone who might spot the two adding that, after Ronald took the girl, he was told that he had allegedly proposed love to the child more than a year back.
Cases of child marriages have been on an increase in the country with most of them attributed to cultural and religious practices as well as idle minds due to lockdown induced school closures.
