LIVINGSTONE Member of Parliament Sakwiba Sikota has said it is not possible to use law to prohibit issues to do with morals such as having many partners.

And Chief Nalubamba of Namwala said norms that were applicable 30 years ago were not applicable anymore in this era.

Mr Sikota said during a discussion on HIV/AIDS issues at Capital Theatre in Livingstone on Friday there was need to empower knowledge to communities on the dangers of having many partners.

"It is not possible to prohibit issues to do with morals using the law. The way forward is to empower knowledge in people on the dangers of multiple concurrent relationships," Mr Sikota said.

He said mere legislation would not do and that no country had managed to fight morals using the law.

He said Livingstone City Council had done its best in securing recreation places for youths such as the Mukuni Park to prevent youths from going to areas that would expose them to drugs and diseases.

Chief Nalubamba said it was not possible to hold on to morals that applied 30 years ago even when they were no longer applicable in this era.

"What was a norm 20, 30 years ago cannot be a norm in 2010, norms that used to encourage diseases are no longer practised in our chiefdoms," Chief Nalubamba said.

And Chief Chikanta said it was important to first understand the problem before coming up with a solution.

Chief Chikanta said custodians of traditions were females and not men and that it was always the woman's side that, for instance, required a man to move to the woman's village and follow her traditions when he got married.

He said there was need to sensitise the whole nation on issues to do with traditions and how they promoted diseases such as HIV/AIDS.

And Jane Kaluba from the United Church of Zambia said it was important to address the issue of having many partners from the cultural point of view.

Reverend Kaluba said only after it was addressed from the cultural point of view would the biblical side have impact, especially on men who were traditionally allowed to have many partners.