Botswana should shun child labour - Siele

EPHRAIM KEORENG
Staff Writer | Wednesday April 28, 2010 00:00

Addressing a conference organised by his ministry, Peter Siele said his ministry has not paid enough attention to the issue of child labour. He pointed out that child labour has been dominated by the traditional mindset, which influences the average citizen's view of child work.

'While the line between child work and child labour may appear too thin, it is the duty of the society to recognise it and act in a direction that will protect our children from child labour and abuse. It's our responsibility to conscientise the society,' he said.

He said Botswana has ratified International labour Organisation (ILO) Conventions and must comply with the laws.Siele said his ministry has started a campaign to address this, which is why they held a commemoration on the worst forms of child labour for the first time last year.

'This year, in collaboration with our partners, the Botswana Confederation of Commerce, Industry and Manpower (BOCCIM) and the Botswana Federation of Trade Unions (BFTU), we have held a workshop to draft a list of hazardous work for children in Botswana.

My officers have conducted presentations in some district councils and other forums and I have started addressing the issue of child labour in kgotla meetings,' he said.

The minister stated that children are the country's future human resource, which must be supported to grow with an appreciation of the goodness of work for development 'and not to associate work with serfdom, malice and deformation of limbs,' he said.

Siele also stated that they have embarked on an ambitious initiative to improve the skills-base in the country.He said the Construction Industry Trust Fund (CITF) provides a crash skills training programme to produce craftsmen and artisans to meet the needs of the building and construction industry so as to reduce imported labour.The crash course, he said, lasts three months.

'To give meaning to the programmes, I urge potential employers to employ these artisans in their construction projects. This will create employment as well as further develop our skilled manpower base, failing which our inclination to import even artisans, will be sustained much longer, to the discomfort of many of us,' he said.