Observation (CEACR) - adopted 2016, published 106th ILC session (2017)

Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182) - Zimbabwe (Ratification: 2000)

The Committee notes the observations of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) received on 1 September 2016 as well as the Government’s report.

Article 4(3) of the Convention. Periodic examination of the list of hazardous work. The Committee previously noted the Government’s indication that it was initiating consultations in order to elaborate a new list of types of hazardous work.

The Committee notes the Government’s indication that, following the adoption of the Labour Amendment Act of 2015, focus will be given to the revision of its supporting regulations, including the list of the types of hazardous work. Observing that the Government has been referring to the revision of the list of types of hazardous work since 2003, the Committee expresses the firm hope that the Government will take the necessary measures to ensure the revision of the list of types of hazardous work prohibited to children under the age of 18 years, in the near future. It requests the Government to provide information on any progress made in this regard.

Article 7(2). Effective and time-bound measures. Clause (a). Preventing the engagement of children in the worst forms of child labour. Access to free basic education. In its previous comments, the Committee noted the Government’s information that it was continuing its support to the Basic Education Assistance Module (BEAM) and taking several initiatives to address the financial barriers to education, in order to increase school attendance and reduce school drop-out rates.

The Committee notes the ZCTU’s observation that the BEAM project is facing financial constraints and that an increase in financial resources of 172 per cent would be needed to reach all children identified by school authorities as needing assistance. In this regard, the Committee notes the Government’s information that it continues to allocate funds to the BEAM project in order to ensure that vulnerable children are able to go to school. The Government also indicates that it continues to strengthen the School Feeding Programme as a way of ensuring attendance and retention of children in schools. The Committee notes, however, from the UNESCO Education For All National Review 2015, Zimbabwe, that while school enrolments remain relatively high, about 30 per cent of the approximately 3 million children enrolled in primary school do not complete the seven-year primary cycle. This report also indicates that although efforts such as BEAM are commendable, these are far from meeting the needs of about 1 million children who are from poor and disadvantaged families. The Committee further notes that the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC), in its concluding observation of 7 March 2016, expressed concern at the: low completion rates at the primary level owing to imposed tuition fees and hidden costs; low quality of education due to inadequate budget allocations to support educational programmes and infrastructure; and difficulties faced by some children in accessing education, particularly those living in poverty and those in remote areas (CRC/C/ZWE/CO/2, paragraph 68). While noting the measures taken by the Government, the Committee must express its concern at the high number of children who drop out of primary education and do not have access to free basic education. Considering that education contributes to preventing the engagement of children in the worst forms of child labour, the Committee urges the Government to strengthen its efforts to ensure access to free basic education to all children, particularly children from poor and disadvantaged families, through the BEAM project, the School Feeding Programme or otherwise, and to provide adequate funding for the proper implementation of these projects. It requests the Government to provide information on concrete measures taken in this regard, particularly with respect to addressing the financial barriers to education, with a view to increasing school attendance rates and reducing drop-out rates.

Clause (d). Identify and reach out to children at special risk. Orphans of HIV/AIDS and other vulnerable children. The Committee previously noted that many children in Zimbabwe were orphaned due to HIV/AIDS and that most of these children found themselves involved in the worst forms of child labour. In this regard, the Committee noted the allegations made by the ZCTU that the HIV/AIDS pandemic had contributed to the phenomenon of child poverty and child labour, as the number of child-headed families increased. It noted the measures taken by the Government to protect children orphaned by HIV/AIDS from becoming engaged in the worst forms of child labour, including the implementation of the Harmonized Social Cash Transfers schemes (HSCT) and the BEAM project, which contain components aimed at protecting and supporting orphans and vulnerable children as well as the Orphans and other Vulnerable Children National Action Plan (OVC NAP). However, the Committee noted with deep concern the large number of children aged 0 to 17 years who are orphaned due to HIV/AIDS in Zimbabwe and urged the Government to take effective and time-bound measures in this regard.

The Committee notes the Government’s statement that it is committed to the implementation of the OVC NAP and is actively funding its programmes targeting all vulnerable children. The Committee also notes from the Government’s report that within the framework of the HSCT, 145,691 children in all households and 47,037 child orphans benefitted in 2016. The Committee further notes that according to the Global AIDS Response Progress Report of 2015, the Government is implementing the National Case Management System Project (a project in collaboration between World Education’s Bantwana Initiative, USAID, UNICEF, and Zimbabwe’s Department of Social Services to strengthen and expand the national community case management system to reach the most vulnerable children in Zimbabwe and connect them to critical services) in order to address the needs of the OVC. This report also indicates that within the BEAM project, school-related assistance is provided to more than 60 per cent of children. The Committee notes, however, that according to the 2015 UNAIDS estimates, an average of 790,000 children aged 0 to 17 years are orphans due to HIV/AIDS. Expressing its concern at the large number of children who are HIV/AIDS orphans in the country, the Committee urges the Government to strengthen its efforts to prevent the engagement of these children in the worst forms of child labour, including through the OVC NAP, the HSCT, the BEAM project and the National Case Management System. It requests the Government to provide information on the measures taken and results achieved in this regard.

The Committee is raising other points in a request addressed directly to the Government.