SOCIALIST Party president Dr Fred M’membe has expressed concern with the growing trend of elderly men feasting on young female college students in boarding houses around the country, especially Lusaka.
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Shortage of bed space in most colleges and universities has given way to the mushrooming of boarding houses where students reside away from their homes.
But Dr M’membe is concerned that there are numerous stories, including video postings, circulate on social media of youths misconducting themselves.
“…and we just laugh and brash it aside,” he observed in a statement.
“The concept of boarding houses, which is a good alternative as colleges and universities can not provide residential accommodation for students, has unfortunately brought a high level of immorality amongst our students. Landlords who are supposed to be guardians of these students are only interested in collecting rentals instead of enforcing strict tenancy rules to promote morality,” Dr M’membe observed.
He noted that in the absence of the Ministry of National Guidance, the government had remained mute and is just watching immorality taking place in these boarding houses.
“Elderly men who are supposed to be parents and grandparents to these financially vulnerable young girls are at the forefront of exploiting and abusing them in boarding houses. Where will these young girls end up in the future?”, Dr M’membe wondered.
“We can not just sit and watch seeing our children being abused, being destroyed in this way,” he added.
Dr M’membe said the country needed to look at devising some form of regulations and introduce licensing for people running boarding houses to protect young girls, including not allowing visitors at the boarding houses amongst other stringent measures.
Food for thought for us all and the ministries of Youth and Sport and Education. We need a healthy and morally upright society.
“A report by the Ministry of Health showed that sexually transmitted infections are higher in the age range 16-25 years,” M’membe concluded.
Kalemba May 7, 2024
