Balaka chiefs summoned for keeping  school pupils child in initiation camps

Reports of Malawi’s eastern district of Balaka indicate that some children are still in initiation camps five days after the opening of school calendar a development that has forced the Police in the district to summon Traditional Leaders and initiation counsellors.

Addressing the chiefs and initiation counsellors on Thursday at Balaka Police Station, the Station Officer for Balaka Police Station Senior Superintendent Benson Ndhlovu said, “Keeping children in initiation camps after School has opened is a violation of children’s rights to education.”

He said Police is not against their culture but “would not sit down and watch the children’s rights to education being violated” just because of some few greedy individuals.

He therefore urged them to release the children so that they should be in class by Monday 15th September, 2014.

One of the Group village headmen who are still keeping children in initiation camps Group Village Headman Mtumbwe assured the Police that the children will be released and come Monday all the children will be in class.

All most five Group Village headmen under Sub Traditional Authority Kachenga are still keeping children in initiation camps according to Child Protection Officer for Balaka Police Station Sergeant Elias Sungani.

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