Mzuzu City Mayor bemoans baby dumping
Mzuzu City Mayor, Councillor William Mkandawire has bemoaned the tendency by some parents to dump their newly born babies instead of taking care of them.
Speaking in an interview recently, Mkandawire said the practice is inhuman and intolerable in society because every child has a right to grow with its parents and be properly cared for.
“I’m strongly disappointed with some parents especially those who throw away their babies.
“How can someone carry a child for nine months and dump it? Do they have a conscience at all?” he queried.
He then warned that his office would not just sit down and watch as such habits hamper protection of children.
“My office will do everything possible to ensure that together with other stakeholders we bring perpetrators to book,” he warned.
Concurring with Mkandawire, District Social Welfare Officer responsible for Mzimba North, Edward Chisanga said even older children are neglected.
“As much as in the first half of this year we have had only five registered cases of baby dumping, there have also been 12 cases of older children being abandoned.
“What is of much concern is that these are known cases, but what about those that we are not aware of? These are things that should not be happening at all,” Chisanga said.
Statistics from the social welfare office indicate that in 2016 alone there were 133 cases of child neglect, 72 were of children living in streets, 99 of physical abuse and 61 of sexual abuse, among others.
“These statistics tell us that children are suffering a lot and their needs are not sufficiently met because a child that is neglected has no one to watch over him or her,” Chisanga said.
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