‘Ukuthwala practitioners are nothing more than paedophiles!’
The deputy minister of police on Thursday had strong words for those who practise ukuthwala. “They are nothing more than paedophiles!” said Maggie Sotyu.“We want to say‚ we respect a tradition that builds a nation‚ but we abhor a so-called culture that oppresses‚ abuses‚ abduct‚ and rape our children in the name of tradition.“We will arrest those children abusers who abduct our children in the name of ‘customary marriage’.”Sotyu told a budget vote in Parliament that the South African Police Service’s Women’s Network and Men for Change “will be embarking on community outreach programme that will be addressing the problem of ukuthwala of young children‚ in our rural areas‚ especially in the Eastern Cape”.Ukuthwala involves the abduction of young girls and forcing them into marriage‚ often with the consent of their parents...
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