'Jail parents who offer lots of cash to kids,' says Zanu-MP

Zanu-PF Mpopoma- Pelandaba member of parliament Joe Tshuma has called for a legislation that will punish parents who spoil their children by giving them lots of money.

Tshuma said by giving children money, parents are encouraging them to engage in dirty activities.

 He prescribed long jail terms for such parents saying they are "irresponsible".

"I stood up because I have noticed that it is happening mostly in my constituency. You find that we have got a lot of child headed households.

The parents are overseas either in England or South Africa. These children remain alone and their parents send a lot of money, whether for upkeep or whatever, and then they have excess of that money, they end up doing like in Bulawayo; there is what is now popularly referred to as vuzu parties," said Tshuma.

He added, "In those vuzu parties, they will be drinking bronco, smoking weeds and doing all kinds of dirty stuff that leads to early unprepared sex, unprotected sex and hence, pregnancies and things like that.

"I have stood up today to say I think we need to pass a law which criminalises the parents first before the children.

"It must be on record that if a parent is so negligent enough to give their children a lot of money, you are enabling them to do that. If a child comes out of your house wearing a daring mini-skirt, what are you thinking as the parent? Where did she get that mini-skirt from? It means that you bought that mini-skirt for her.

"When things start happening out there, it is a chain reaction of what we have started as parents. As people who are supposed to be responsible for these kids, we are letting it all loose.

"The major reason why I stood up is to say that the parents must definitely be punished with long jail sentences because we are irresponsible."