04 Sep 2013

Batswana have been encouraged to eliminate child labour by 2016.

Addressing a kgotla meeting at Morwamosu in Southern District on Monday, the Minister of Labour and Home Affairs, Mr Edwin Batshu said government was concerned at the high rate of child exploitation, particularly on commercial farms and homes.

The minister noted that the ugliest form of child exploitation was where children were denied access to both education and health care. He said the majority of commercial cattle farms which were major culprits were usually locked and thus it was difficult for relevant government departments to gain access.

Minister Batshu indicated that it was almost impossible for government services such as mobile clinics and education to reach children and parents alike who worked on farms due to their no entry policy and isolation. He said this countered government’s efforts to bring services to all citizens.

He added that it was difficult for government officers to tell if children found in farms were labourers or merely members of families that resided within the farms. However, he said there was indication that “the children whose parents are hired as farm labours are used as workers, which is contrary to labour legislation and the Children’s Act of 2009.”

Mr Batshu stressed that parents should exercise responsibility and ensure all children under the age of 16 years go to school.  He further encouraged parents to register their children at birth as that provided legal recognition of the child and was generally required for the child to obtain a birth certificate.

He added the importance of birth registration was also a critical element of civil registration. The minister noted that when unregistered children grow up, they may also be denied collective privileges that should be enjoyed by all members of society. 

These include work, rights to family inheritance, marriage, welfare benefits, social security and pension. The children would also not have the right to vote and participate in civil and political affairs. He noted that registering children at birth also allowed government to plan ahead in terms of provision of services for every citizen. ENDS