Chief Madzimawe punishes five parents

Senior Chief Madzimawe

Senior Chief Madzimawe of the Ngoni people of Chipata has punished about five parents with community service work for allowing their underage primary school going children to be dancing queens at a local tavern.

Chief Madzimawe says the parents will be cleaning a local clinic and a school for five days as part of their punishment.

The traditional leader explains that the girls in question were not drinking alcohol, but were turned into dancing queens by someone who has been operating a tavern.

He says the owner of the tavern will be dealt with accordingly on Friday this week.

And Chief Madzimawe has punished one of his village headmen for running a secret unwritten law that aided early child marriages.

He says the headman and his assistant have been fined three goats or face one month community service under customary law.