13 Jun 2016

Botswana, on June 12, joined the world in commemorating World Day Against Child Labour.

In a speech to mark the commemoration, permanent secretary in the Ministry of Labour and Home Affairs, Ms Pearl Ramokoka, stated that the focus of the this year’s commemoration was on child labour and supply chains.

She noted that supply chains were the sequence of activities or processes involved in the production and distribution of a product. 

With globalisation, she said, supply chains had become increasingly complex, involving workers, small producers, and enterprises around the world.

While most child labour occurred in production for domestic markets, children could also be found working in the production of goods and services for export.

With 168 million children still in child labour, all supply chains, from agriculture to manufacturing, services to construction, run the risk that child labour might be present. Enterprises needed to be vigilant to ensure that their supply chains are free from child labour or risk having their reputations ruined and their business seriously damaged.

Ms Ramokoka further said child labour occurs largely in the rural and informal economy, in areas where trade unions and employers’ organisations are often weak or absent and in areas that may be beyond the capacity of labour inspectors to reach.

This also holds true for child labour in supply chains, where the work may be done in small workshops or homes, and often goes undetected by firms at the top of the chain. 

“As we, Botswana celebrate 50 years of independence and focused on attracting Foreign Direct Investment to diversify our economy into the next 50 years lets be cautious of Child Labour. The children are the key to taking Botswana to the next 50 years,” she said.ENDS