Zambia today joined the rest of the world in commemorating the World Day against Child Labour.
Officiating at the Commemoration, Ministry of Labour and Social Security Permanent Secretary Chanda Kaziya says ending and eradicating Child Labour, is among government priorities.
Mr Kaziya noted that child labour perpetuates intergenerational poverty, threatens national economies and undercuts rights guaranteed by the convention on the rights of children.
He said government intends to provide broadened resource mobilisation to deal with child labour in the country.
“Government is working towards ensuring improved quality of education for all our children. Our government’s commitment is also evident through the approval of appropriate policies and action plans aimed at broadly at eliminating hazardous child labour and improve the safety and health of young workers,” he explained.
He also called for increased consultations for validation of data on child labour to ensure programs on child labour involve children.
“There is nothing for the children without involving the children in the quest to end child labour,” Mr Kaziya urged.
Also present at the commemorations was Labour Commissioner Givens Muntengwa, who disclosed that the ministry has recorded positive results through initiatives aimed at ending child labour.
He stated that with the help of stakeholders, the ministry has managed to direct child labour policy and implemented programmes that are targeted at ending child labour.
“The Ministry has made considerable progress in the fight against Child Labour through policy direction and implementation of child labour Programmes with various stakeholders,” he said.
And speaking at the same event, International Labour Organisation (ILO) Country Director George Akutho called for sustainable solutions, to end all forms of Child Labour.
Dr. Akutho called for actions towards the escalating numbers of children in Labour, which has risen to 92 million in Africa.
“The implementation of comprehensive and holistic policies through sustainability solutions is required, in the fight against Child Labour. In Africa the number has risen to 92 million, meaning that one out of every 5 children on the continent is in Child Labour,” he bemoaned.
Dr. Akutho also commended government for putting in place interventions aimed at the elimination of child labour.
He however implored that the crisis of child labour in its current form, requires doubled action to meet the benchmark to eradicate the vice by 2025.
According to global estimates, the number of children in child labour has risen by 8.4 million, to over 100 million children in child labour.
Laugh out loud. Zambians love marching in streets to pretend that they care about a particular cause. If only the children in whose name the march was geing held had real power, they would speak out against this pretence.
I even forgot we have a day like this, i am busy thinking of how to pay for my rentals, finish building my house as I also see to it that my children go to school with full bellies in this tied up economy while running a business that seems to have reached a dead end.
Where is Sean Tembo of the Patriots for Economic Progress (PeP) to condemn in the strongest terms possible the destruction to property and assault on innocent citizens that was caused by Freedom Sikazwi and the PF thugs he hired yesterday in Luapula?
Empty words from a government with empty headed leaders preoccupied with just filling their own pockets