‘Lockdown fuelled child labour in mines’

THE COVID-19 lockdown period in January and February fuelled child labour at the country’s mines, a non-governmental organisation has said. This was revealed by Elfas Shangwa the chairperson of the Harare New Hope Fountain, which deals with protecting the rights of children.

Shangwa said during the prolonged lockdown period, a number of children below 18 were working at mines to fend for their families.

“Poverty is the main cause behind this prevalent practice of child labour at mines and other sectors of the economy,” he said.

“We noticed that most unregistered mines were employing minors at the opencast mines. They would carry gold ore in buckets and wheelbarrows with no formal contracts, protective clothing or medical benefits. Their wages were as little as US$5 to US$10 per tonne of ore.”

He said the main problem was that when they got assistance from his organisation, some children refused to return to school.

Zimbabwe National Council for the Welfare of Children director Taylor Nyanhete said child labour at mines and farms was rampant.

“Child labour is mainly seen in hunger-stricken communities where children have to fend for themselves and their families.

“The only thing that can reduce child labour is to keep children at school, but due to the COVID19-induced lockdown period most children had nothing to do,” he said.

Nyanhete said artisinal mining (chikorokoza) had many negative impacts on minors as they were also getting involved in drug abuse, violent acts, and prostitution in mining areas thus endangering their health.

He said the country had laws that protected children’s rights, but the problem was in the enforcement of those laws.

“Zimbabwe currently has about 100 to 120 labour officers when the actual number of labour officers that is needed to enforce laws is 500 to 700. This is insufficient for them to ensure that there is no child labour at mines,” the ZNCWC boss said, adding: “The Zimbabwe Republic Police is also inadequately resourced to monitor the situation on the ground.”

Nyanhete called on government to introduce State-funded education to make sure that all children stay at school to curb child labour.

He said child labour was rampant in gold-rich areas such as Kadoma, Shurugwi and Mazowe.