NGO tackles child labour in Botswana

CALISTUS KOLANTSHO
Correspondent | Thursday April 22, 2010 00:00

 

The calls were made this week, by the National Coordinator of Towards the Elimination of Child Labour in Botswana project, Marianyana Selelo, at a workshop on child labour for police officers and social workers from the north east and central districts. 'According to the study that was carried out in 2004, 8.5 percent of the working population are children aged between seven and 17 years and the majority of them are males. About 66.1 percent of them are in the Agricultural sector.

It was also established that the Central District was leading in child labour, followed by North east,' said Selelo. A participant, assistant Superintendent Wazha Zambezi of Shoshong Police said there are some ranch owners in his policing area that break the law by hiring children. 'The laws of this country are also silent when it comes to child labour. It is hard to convict someone abusing them. The adults employed on these farms can also not attest that their children are working,' said Zambezi.  selelo emphasized the need for all stakeholders to tackle child labour at all costs. She observed that some people are guilty of child labour, albeit unintentionally. She told participants that Botswana does not have a universal definition of a child and said there is a need for stakeholders to differentiate child labour from child work.

'Child labour deprives children of their childhood, their dignity, potential and it is also harmful to their physical and moral development,' she said. She gave an example of a child who grows up in a shebeen environment and ends up being fondled inappropriately by customers, adding to the aspect of sexual abuse.

Selelo identified some causes of child labour in Botswana as poverty, effects of HIV/AIDS pandemic, social customs and attitudes both traditional and cultural practices, gender inequality, low cost of child labour and child labourers contribution to the household income.

Participants at the two-day workshop are expected to identify best practices in networking and coordination in the context of labour law enforcement. 

Selelo stated that her organisation will run until 2012 and aims to withdraw 700 child labourers from the industries they are involved in as well as prevent 1,400 potential child labourers. Such children, she explained, will be placed in schools and training centers. She pointed out that the withdrawal process needs commitment from stakeholders such as the police and social workers.