IN response to Sonny Jermain’s letter to the editor titled [highlight]Consent – a key word in sex:[/highlight] In the letter Jermain said that the key to sex is “consent”. The letter says where sex is concerned, consent is all that matters.
NYASHA MAKUVIRE
Consent is defined as permission for something to happen or agreement to do something.
The legal age of permission for sex in Zimbabwe is 16 years. One thing that we need to realise in these issues is that the law looks at many angles and a decision is made after consultations are made with all individuals of different ethnic groups, age, gender and most importantly religious orientation.
There is concern among Zimbabweans over premarital sex clearly because as a society we firmly believe in sex after marriage. In the Ndebele culture, for marriage to go on, engagement between a young woman and a young man first happens.
The girl goes on to her aunt to promise marriage where the aunt confirms her virginity and reports the issue to the elders.
The aunts are responsible for the process because they are naturally closest to the girl. Plainly said, virginity is valued in most African cultures.
However, our cultures have been eroded and virginity is now no longer valued as much as it was. Parents desire that their children get married while they are pure. This seems like it’s becoming a thing of the past.
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Another issue we need to look at is that a huge percentage of Zimbabweans are Christians and their religion discourages premarital sex. Allowing children to have a taste of what is forbidden is an act of abomination.
However, social media, friends and TV influence children and young adults into premarital sex.
Sex education is now left for these glowing enemies and our children derive inspiration and information from them.
Are we going to allow our children to get lost while we watch?
I feel that it’s irresponsible to say “safe sex and contraceptives should be accessed by young people who feel like it because they will have sex as and when they feel like it”.
It is unfair and very selfish. I thought we were done with that. Who gets a raincoat and does not come out when it rains? Food for thought! Life is moving too fast for our little ones.
All we have is our children, leaders for tomorrow. We cannot have our children being given sex tools. They will use them.
This is everyone’s responsibility. Whoever gets a chance with a child must tell the truth and eliminate TV and peer information. From the maid, aunt, kombi conductor in the morning, let us collectively teach the children to abstain.
Abstinence is possible. Tell the children about the sanctity of sex. Tell them it is an activity that brings couples together and is used by God in having us multiply.
Sex is for the married and children should know that.
We should also remember that children learn by imitation. In an article by Thembe Khumalo on October 13, she said that primarily copying what we do drives them (children) to do the same.
Let us, therefore, be examples to our young ones. NYASHA MAKUVIRE
