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Yoliswa Dube-Moyo

TODAY marks World Day Against Child Labour, this year’s theme being “Covid-19: Protect children from child labour, now more than ever!”

It focuses on the impact of the crisis on child labour. The Covid-19 pandemic and the resulting economic and labour market shock have had a huge impact on people’s lives and livelihoods. Unfortunately, children are often the first to suffer. The crisis can push millions of vulnerable children into child labour. Already, there are an estimated 152 million children in child labour, 72 million of which are in hazardous work. These children are now at even greater risk of facing circumstances that are even more difficult.

This year, the day shall be conducted as a virtual campaign. Zimbabwe has made significant strides in eliminating the worst forms of child labour. The Government continues to implement the Trafficking in Persons Action Plan. It has developed a national referral mechanism to assist victims of human trafficking and guidelines to improve coordination of anti-trafficking efforts. In addition, it increased budget allocations for the Basic Education Assistance Module and Harmonised Social Cash Transfer programs.

However, some children have been found to engage in some forms of child labour, including commercial sexual exploitation, mining, and in agriculture. Law enforcement agencies are working to eliminate the challenge but they sometimes lack resources to enforce child labour laws. In addition, a few gaps remain in the country’s legal framework against child labour, such as the lack of free basic education, which increases children’s vulnerability to child labour. Zimbabwean law sets 16 years as the minimum age for employment and prohibits children under 18 from performing hazardous work. The exception is where the employment constitutes apprenticeship for those aged between 13 to 15 years.

There has been strong commitment among key stakeholders with regards to child labour, specifically with reducing the incidence of child labour. There has also been commitment in the protection of working children and ultimately elimination of the worst forms of child labour. Deliberate interventions by the Government take into account the fact that the appropriate and responsible upbringing of children is a direct contribution to sustainable development of the country. Zimbabwe has ratified all key international and regional instruments, which relate to the welfare and rights of children. These include the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, 1989, the ILO Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138), and the Worst Forms of Child Labour, 199 (No. 182).

At continental level, Zimbabwe ratified in 1995 the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of Children. In terms of the national legislation, both the Children’s Act and the Labour Act have undergone progressive review to align them to the various provisions of the ratified Conventions. An example is the Children’s Act, which now provides that it is an offence to exploit or abuse children in the process of involvement in child work. However, the Act prohibits employment of any person less than 18 years of age for work that is likely to compromise the person’s safety, health and morals. A recent survey on the worst forms of child labour was undertaken through the administration of six questionnaires divided into children in agriculture, mining, illicit activities, domestic work and prostitution.

The survey revealed that worst forms of child labour do exist in Zimbabwe as evidenced by participation of children in prostitution, mining, agriculture, hazardous domestic work and the targeted illicit activities. It emerged that the major causes of child labour included poverty, breakdown of the family unit due to HIV and Aids, as well as the inadequacy of the social services delivery system. These casual factors have led children — especially vulnerable orphans and those from poor backgrounds — into various forms of exploitation and abuse. Given the multifaceted nature of the challenges posed by children’s involvement in child labour, a multi-sectoral approach involving all stakeholders should be considered as a viable way to address the challenges. According to the International Labour Organisation, the Worst Forms of Child Labour (WFCL) may harm a child through the task itself, tools used, hours and conditions of work. Also included are any other factors that affect his or her physical, mental, emotional, psychological, moral and spiritual development. Health and safety hazards are greater for workers under the age of 18 years than adults. Chronic physical strain on growing bones and joints causes their growth to stunt, spinal injury and other lifelong deformities.

ILO Convention 182 specifically defines the WFCL as all forms of slavery or practices similar to slavery, such as the sell and trafficking of children. Also included are debt bondage and serfdom, forced or compulsory labour, as well as forced compulsory recruitment of children for use in armed conflict. The Convention illegalises the use, procuring or offering of children for prostitution and production of pornography.

The Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency divides child labour into two categories. The first is economic child labour such as supply of labour for production of goods and services for sale, where a child aged between five and 14 is engaged in economic activities for at least three hours a day. The second is non-economic activities which include household chores like fetching firewood and water, for at least five hours a day.

According to a recent ZimStat survey, of the children aged five and 14 years in economic child labour, four percent had never attended school. Reasons include being considered too young to go to school, financial problems or distance of the school. About 14 percent of this age group had left school due to financial constraints, refusal to go to school, pregnancy or caring for the sick. Ninety six percent stayed in rural areas and were in the agriculture, hunting and fishing industries. For those in non-economic child labour, six percent had never been to school and 59 percent still at school, while 35 percent had left school.

Child labour is a major cause for concern for the Government, particularly in its endeavour to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. The prevailing negative socio-economic context results in a child-unfriendly-environment that threatens both the survival and development of children. However, efforts are being made to ensure that the incidence of child labour is contained by keeping children in school, reducing child destitution, awareness campaigns against child labour and imposition of stiff er penalties on those found employing children.

Additional information from International Labour Organisation.