Tinotenda Hove- First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa has called on parents to reintroduce corporal punishment as a corrective measure, saying the abandonment of traditional disciplinary methods has led to moral decay among Zimbabwean youth.

Speaking during her Gota/Nhanga Programme at Mawungwa Secondary School on Monday, the First Lady said the rise in drug abuse, teenage pregnancies, and school dropouts was linked to modern parenting approaches that discourage physical discipline.

“Many of today’s social problems stem from how we are raising our children,” she said. “When we were young, our parents disciplined us through a light beating, and that helped shape our character. Nowadays, parents are afraid to correct their children because of these so-called rights, and the results are clear.”

Mnangagwa encouraged parents to discipline children firmly but responsibly, suggesting that striking them on the feet can be effective without causing harm.

“If you correct your child by whipping the legs, you are not hurting them — you are guiding them,” she said. “When you don’t discipline them, they fall into drugs, early sex, and disrespect. We must go back to the old ways that worked.”

The First Lady also criticised the legal restrictions on corporal punishment, saying they have tied the hands of both teachers and parents. Her remarks echo sentiments recently expressed by senior government officials and educators who have condemned the court’s decision to outlaw corporal punishment in schools and homes.

In 2018, Justice Joseph Mafusire said he disagreed with the ruling that outlawed corporal punishment, describing it as “a misstep that weakens moral discipline.” Similarly, Primary and Secondary Education Minister Torerai Moyo recently argued that the ban has made it “extremely difficult for teachers to maintain order in schools.”

The ban was introduced following court rulings between 2015 and 2017, when Justices Esther Muremba and David Mangota declared corporal punishment unconstitutional, effectively striking it from the Education Act and related regulations.