The President of Tanzania, John Magufuli has said that men who impregnate school girls thereby distracting them from schooling should be jailed.
Magufuli expressed shock at the rate of pregnancy among school girls in Tanzania’s south-western region of Rukwa.
In the said region some 229 schoolgirls had been impregnated by men who were not punished.
During his visit to the region Magufuli said “The government is providing free education and these men are busy making girls pregnant.
Why has no action been taken against these men?.”
In 2017 President Magufuli rejected activists’ calls for the government to allow pregnant students to attend state schools.
He said at the time that it was immoral for young girls to be sexually active.
Magufuli was reaffirming Tanzania’s ban on pregnant girls attending state primary and secondary schools which dates back to 1961.
The ban however does not extend to private schools.
“In my administration, as long as I am president … no pregnant student will be allowed to return to school. We cannot allow this immoral behaviour to permeate our primary and secondary schools … never,” he said at the time.
Jail them
But during his recent visit to a region of Rukwa, he advised schoolgirls to reject seduction from men who want to distract them from pursuing their education.
“If they tell you that you are beautiful, tell them to go tell their mothers.
Don’t be afraid of being tough. You are the leaders of tomorrow and I want you to focus on your studies”, Mr Magufuli said.
He added that “The rate of pregnancy in this region [Rukwa] is shocking, and I had expected the 229 men who made the girls pregnant to be jailed, but I doubt any action has been taken”.
The President also blamed local government leaders and religious authorities for failing in their role.
Source: Africafeeds.com
