Africa | Zimbabwe | Crimes

These women survived domestic abuse, now they’re sharpshooters protecting animals from poachers

Abused and disadvantaged women have become Zimbabwe's hidden weapon against poachers who kill elephants and rhinos for their tusks and horns. The Akashinga squad, or "The Brave Ones," is Zimbabwe's first all-female anti-poaching team that has quickly earned a top reputation as sharpshooters. They've arrested 80 armed poachers in the past year. Petronella Chigumbura, the star sniper of the squad, wears a full camouflage suit for solo night patrols. "When I wear this suit no one can see me, and I can hide from the poacher," Chigumbura told CBS News foreign correspondent Debora Patta in a

Africa | Zimbabwe | Culture

Child brides take gov’t to court over marriage laws

Source: Pangea Today

Two Zimbabwean child brides have taken the government to court in a landmark bid to get child marriages declared illegal and unconstitutional in the country. In their statements, Loveness Mudzuru and Ruvimbo Tsopodzi argued that Zimbabwe’s Marriage Act is discriminatory because it sets the minimum age at 16 for girls while it is 18 for boys. In her court affidavit, Mudzuru – now 19 years old and still married with two children – described how child marriage and poverty created a “vicious circle” for girls like her.