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development agenda.
There has been strong commitment among key stakeholders with regards to child labour, to progressively reduce incidences of child labour.
There has also been commitment in the protection of working children and ultimately elimination of the worst forms of child labour. 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).
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.
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 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 sixth questionnaire was for key informants.
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 Unicef World Fit for Children Report of 2002-2006, Zimbabwe is experiencing a complex interplay of structural chronic poverty combined with transient poverty.
This is attributed to the unprecedented economic challenges that the country has continued to face since 1999. Perennial droughts, HIV and Aids, declining foreign investment and low overseas development assistance have exacerbated poverty levels.
These factors have increased the population’s vulnerability to poverty and food insecurity and consequently affected children.
The 1995 and 2006 Poverty Assessment Study Surveys suggest that poverty has increased markedly in both urban and rural areas.
According to the ILO, 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 (ngozi) and serfdom, and 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 Central Statistical Office in Zimbabwe divided child labour into two categories.
The first is economic child labour, like supply of labour for production of goods and services for sale, where a child aged between five-14 is engaged in economic activities for at least three hours a day.
The second is non-economic activity where engagement is in non-economic activities. These include household chores like fetching firewood and water, for at least five hours a day. According to the survey, of the children aged five-14 years in economic child labour, four percent have 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 Millennium Development Goals.
The prevailing negative socio-economic context results in a child-unfriendly-environment that threatens both the survival and development of children.
A relative new phenomenon appearing in Harare and elsewhere is the plight of street children.
According to official estimates, Harare has about                5 000 children on the street, the majority being males aged from 14-18-years-old.