Peter Matambanadzo
Fifteen-year-old Charles Matake of Epworth struggles to out of his threadbare blankets which he shares with two of his younger siblings.

With the cold weather setting in, waking up at 4am will increasingly not be any easy, but he and his 14-year-old sister know they have to keep the routine of getting into town early and start the business of collecting plastic bottles for sale to recycling companies.
That will only ensure food on the table for the single mother-headed family.

Meanwhile, the other two younger siblings will join the trek into town later to beg for money and food.
This is but part of the tale of child labour in Zimbabwe.
On June 12, Zimbabwe joined the rest of the world in commemorating the World Day Against Child Labour.

This year’s theme was “Ending child labour as a matter of human rights and social justice. Step up the fight; do not relent”.
The commemorations sought to provide a spotlight on the right of all children to be protected from child labour and from other violations of fundamental human rights.

It comes against the backdrop of the 2010 adoption of the “Roadmap for achieving the elimination of the worst forms of child labour by 2016”, which stressed that child labour is an impediment to children’s rights and a barrier to development.
However, Zimbabwe is on the right track in banishing child labour.

As the trampling of children’s rights is anathema, the International Labour Organisation commended Zimbabwe for its strong commitment to urgently and progressively reduce incidences of child labour, protect working children and to work toward the immediate elimination of the worst forms of child labour.
In statement to mark the World Day Against Child Labour, the ILO said: “The Government of Zimbabwe has placed the issue of children rights high on its

development agenda. With regard to child labour, there is a strong commitment among key stakeholders in Zimbabwe to urgently and progressively reduce

incidences of child labour, protect working children and to work towards the immediate elimination of the worst forms of child labour, as defined in the ILO Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No.182), 1999, ratified by Zimbabwe on 11 December 2000.”
Zimbabwe, the ILO said, has made some steps in this direction starting with the ratification of many conventions that seek to protect children from exposure to child labour.

The ILO said together with other international instruments relating to children, workers and human rights they provide an important framework for legislation, policies and actions against child labour.
In 2008, stakeholders working under the United Nations Development Assistance Framework reported on a survey conducted to determine the nature and extent of

the different worst forms of child labour that exist in Zimbabwe.

The survey revealed that the worst forms of child labour do exist in Zimbabwe as evidenced by the participation of children in prostitution, mining, agriculture, hazardous domestic work and illicit activities.
The ILO says: “Stakeholders can build on national policies and programmes that are in place and learn from them to ensure effective action against child labour. We can put together a combination of policies founded on respect for those principles and rights so that children can be free from child labour and have the chance of a better life.”

Effective education and training policies, the ILO said, backed by social protection measures can produce significant increases in school enrolment and a decline in child labour.

“Decent work for parents and education for children are indispensable elements of strategies for the elimination of child labour. “Decent work for parents means that children are less likely to fall victim to child labour. And better enforcement of national laws, including strengthening child labour inspection and monitoring, enhancing victim assistance and improving prevention strategies are critical to success,” ILO the said.

Zimbabwe undertook a commitment in the protection of working children and ultimately elimination of the worst forms of child labour as early as 1994.
Previous work on Child Labour Surveys undertaken in 1994 and 2004 did not cover some sensitive and potentially hidden forms of child labour.
These include slavery and slavery — like practices, use of children in sexual exploitation, in illicit activities and hazardous work. Deliberate interventions by the Government take into account the fact that the proper and responsible upbringing of children is a direct contribution to sustainable development of the country.

According to the 2004 Labour Force Survey, the total number of children in Zimbabwe was found to be slightly more than five million of the total population.
About three million children were aged between 5-17 years, of which 8,2 percent had never been to school.
About 10 percent had left school and around 81,2 percent of the children were still attending school.
Among children aged between 12-17 years, 2,1 percent were married, divorced, separated or widowed.

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).
According to the Labour Act, the general minimum age for entry into employment is 15 years. The exception is where the employment constitutes apprenticeship for those aged 13-15 years.

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.
The ILO said this day, in a world of growing inequality we must link policy agendas with basic standards of fairness and do right by the world’s children. In a world of incredible wealth, the means exist to end child labour.

“On this World Day with will and solidarity let us renew our efforts, stay the course, and reach the goal,” the ILO said.
The organisation notes that the road to full eradication was long and challenging and urged Governments to ratify the international child conventions. 
“Today, we call on all countries which have not ratified the international child labour conventions to make a special effort to do so. We call on countries to apply as

yet unratified conventions and we call on all to respect the principles and rights embodied in these conventions,” the ILO said.

According to the ILO the worldwide mobilisation against child labour is paying off with important progress achieved over the past decade.
Today there are 30 million fewer child labourers worldwide than a decade ago.
The sharpest decrease has been among younger children, in particular girls.

Conventions on child labour are among the most widely ratified of all ILO conventions.
More and more countries have established national plans to tackle child labour or have introduced laws prohibiting hazardous work by children.
And in consciousness, policy and practice, crucial linkages are increasingly being made: between child labour and poverty, and between the elimination of child labour and universal access to quality education.

The ILO says worldwide mobilisation against child labour was paying off with important progress achieved over the past decade. However, the road to full eradication is long and challenging.

The reality the ILO said remains extremely worrying with 215 million children are still trapped in child labour, 115 million of them in the worst forms.
Latest estimates indicate an increase of 20 percent in child labour among young people aged 15 to 17, mainly involved in hazardous work. 
On many counts the world is failing short on its responsibilities towards children and young people.

The ILO said while much more needs to be done, countries should improve law and practice including establishment of national plans to tackle child labour, new legislative prohibitions that aim identify and prevent hazardous work by children, more legislation being adopted against child prostitution and child pornography and a marked increase in international co-operation and mutual assistance among member states, particularly on issues concerning trafficking.

• peter.matambanadzo@zimpapers.co.zw