A clergyman has urged the Church and families to stop rushing marriages of young couples who are inadequately prepared for the lifelong commitment.

United Church of Zambia (UCZ) Riverside congregation minister-in-charge Joseph Chinyanta said this to re-echo President Hakainde Hichilema’s calls for joint efforts in dealing with the moral decay which is now leading to high divorces.

Reverend Chinyanta said the church should stand its ground by ensuring people intending to marry know each other well and undergo necessary teachings to properly equip them with knowledge and wisdom on how to handle marital issues.

“Having read the speech by His Excellency, President Hakainde Hichilema, one major thing he clearly brought out is the fact that most youths have lost their values, they have turned themselves into alcoholics, drug addicts, perpetrators of gender-based violence, and it is people like them wanting to jump into marriages and end up being divorced,” he said.

The clergyman also noted that the growing trend where some parents and guardians want to rush their children into marriage to individuals with questionable characters for material gains should not be condoned as it is putting young couples in awkward situations when faced with challenges.

“A lot of parents and guardians have sold off their children to wealthy men and women with highly questionable behaviours all because they want such wealth to trickle down to them without even caring about the afflictions their own offspring will face in that marriage,” Rev Chinyanta said.

He also urged youths to refrain from vices that will destroy their future as families are relying on them.

Zambia Daily Mail
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