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Minister Prisca Mupfumira

Leonard Ncube and Nonsikelelo Moyo, Chronicle Reporters
PUBLIC Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister Prisca Mupfumira has said Government will continue to address the needs of social workers in order to ensure that vulnerable children are protected.

In a speech read on her behalf by her deputy, Tapiwa Matangaidze, at the close of the Regional Case Management Learning conference in Victoria Falls last Friday, Minister Mupfumira said Government was proud to be a torch bearer in the region when it comes to child protection issues.

Zimbabwe was chosen to host the inaugural Regional Case Management Learning conference so that other nations could learn from the country.

The conference on case management, an approach which focuses on a standardised response system to protect children from abuse, violence, and exploitation on a case by case basis, was attended by Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Swaziland, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe and representatives of development partners.

“It’s a privilege for Zimbabwe to be the ground breakers for this Sub-Saharan inaugural regional meeting and we are proud as a Government that we have been able to integrate cultural and social values on community care within the case management model,” said Minister Mupfumira.

She said between 2014 and 2016, Government facilitated on the job training to approximately 254 social workers on child care and protection.

“My ministry will continue to do more to support the workforce as we forge ahead in implementing case management system,” she said.

The Minister said the successful implementation of the case management system depends on a confident and effective workforce for quality service delivery.

Minister Mupfumira said planning for enhanced child protection systems should be an all-encompassing exercise and appealed to all stakeholders to consider the plight of children in every their endeavour.

The conference was held under the theme: “Building regional knowledge and evidence towards strengthened national case management systems.”

World Education/Bantwana Zimbabwe country director, Mrs Patience Ndlovu said there is a need for countries to identify and intervene early on problems facing children.

She said children mainly open up when alone than with guardians hence the need for more targeted coaching and mentorship strategies.

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