Staff reporter
The United States of America (USA) Embassy in Harare has admitted that the report published by the USA Department of Labour in Washington on Child labour in Zimbabwe was inaccurate.
A source who spoke to this publication on condition of anonymity revealed that the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Acting Director Labour Administration, Langton Ngorima recently met with representatives from the USA Embassy, namely Deputy Economic Chief, Aja Stefanon and USA consulate General, Brandon Jackson where it came out that the USA report on Zimbabwe’s situation on child labour was inaccurate..
“The USA Embassy in Harare recently admitted that the report published by the USA Department of Labour on child labour in Zimbabwe was inaccurate because there was no ample data collected regarding the matter,” said the source.
The source said that the report produced by the US Department of Labour was marred by falsehoods as it claimed that children under the age of 16 were employed under harsh conditions in Zimbabwe and this was affecting their educational needs.
The source added that the report was dismissed as biased as it was grounded from a survey conducted by a certain Civil Society Organisation (CSO) that was hostile to the Zimbabwean Government.
A political analyst, Clever Zvisingarambwi, who read the report, urged the Americans to always consult before they post such incriminating information.
“In future, if Americans are serious in dealing with such issues, they should discuss the draft report with the Zimbabwean Government before publication. The report failed to draw the line between child work and child labour. Child work is not child labour as the child below the age of 16 can do some light chores for learning purposes and in line with our culture,” said a political analyst.
The Government is tirelessly working to fight child labour in Zimbabwe mainly in the informal sector.
Abolishment of child labour is one of the United Nations conventions that the Zimbabwean Government has endorsed in its endeavour to achieve the Millennium Development Goals.
