OTHER REPORTS

• Parker urges Government to pass Sexual Offence Bill
• SD traditional wants equal opportunities for vulnerable children

Manzini, 2 April 2008: Minister of Enterprises and Employment Lutfo Dlamini says HIV and AIDS pushes many orphaned children to be exposed to worst forms of child labour.

Dlamini who was represented by Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Mtiti Fukudze, said effects of the pandemic often lend to impoverishment of families and push children into detrimental work.

“Cross-cutting issues identified are the HIV and AIDS pandemic, as a large number of children have been orphaned by HIV and AIDS related diseases. Poverty has been identified as the main driver of the HIV and AIDS pandemic in Swaziland.” He said poverty, in the form of lack of basic income, is also a significant cause of child labour.

The minister said the problem of access to education, retention and equity in formal and non-formal education also push children into detrimental work.

“There is a lot of ground that needs to be covered and we still need assistance so that we are able to make commitment to eliminate he worst forms of child labour within a specific time frame. Going through the report, one can see that it contains more than 50 actions steps to eliminate worst forms of child labour that were developed through the recommendations made during the broad consultations with stakeholders and traditional leaders.”

The minister said government was committed to ensuring that all the recommended activities and actions are implemented soon after approval. He said the only predicament was limited resources.

Dlamini said Swaziland ratified the International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention in October 2002, after Swaziland was required to develop appropriate time-bound measures to address the worst forms of child labour.

He thanked ILO and the Unites States Department of Labour for the financial and technical assistance government received to develop the programme called “Towards the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour.”

Parker urges Government to pass Sexual Offence Bill - Swazi Observer, 2 Apr 08

Stories by Timothy Simelane

Manzini, 2 April 2008: American Ambassador Maurice Parker has urged government and parliament to pass the proposed Sexual Offence and Violence Bill “as soon as possible”.

Parker further called upon the ministry of enterprise and employment to support the issue paper for a New Child Law.

He said Swaziland’s adoption of such laws and action programmes will go a long way in remedying the social issues.

Parker was speaking at the Tum’s George Hotel during the occasion towards the launch of the national strategy and action for programme the elimination of child labour in Swaziland.

The Ambassador said it was critical that all nations confront the issue of child labour and other forms of child exploitation.

“Swaziland is doing so, and is meeting its obligations to the international conventions against the worst forms of child exploitation. As parents, we can all recognise that our children may benefit from the lessons of learning how to work. They may learn valuable life skills that will allow them to care for their own families in the years to come.”

He said the national strategy indicates that work, by itself, is not harmful to children, as it can be beneficial. He called upon all to identify all labour, which is hazardous and eliminate it.

“We look to find ways to reconcile our cultural values that include child work, while finding ways to end exploitative child labour – which harms children physically, mentally, psychologically and morally, and prevents them from receiving an education.”

“The welfare of our children is directly related to the future well-being of our countries, our societies, and our economies. Therefore, we must have the courage to confront the issues of child labour, especially in its worst forms. Even when we expect our children to learn skills through work, we must ensure that the work of children remains consistent with their ages and abilities.”

SD traditional wants equal opportunities for vulnerable children - Swazi Observer, 2 Apr 2008

Swaziland’s traditions demand that orphaned children in extended families and vulnerable children of the community must receive equal treatment, Health and Social Welfare Minister Njabulo Mabuza has said.

He said government’s commitment to orphaned and vulnerable children (OVC) was not a matter of choice but principles, “as you will recall that in 1995 Swaziland made international commitments in ratifying the Convention of the Rights of the Child.”

The minister said Swaziland’s commitment was also a matter of necessity in that the Swazi context states that children are the future.

“It has become increasingly noticeable that children’s rights as human rights have not been fully respected, making them to suffer physical, sexual, emotional and psychological abuse at the hands of those who should provide support and protections.”

He said by ratifying the conventions, Swaziland has freely accepted the responsibility of complying with their provisions.

Some of the worst forms of child labour enshrined in the convention include the sale of children, trafficking of children, the recruitment of children to do work far away from home and from the care of their families in circumstances in which they are exploited. Forced or compulsory labour, including recruitment of children for use in armed conflict, was also said to be one of the worst forms of abuse.

The convention also prohibits offering children for prostitution and the production of pornography or pornographic performances.

“As a country, we have to take immediate steps to ensure the prohibition of all worst forms of child labour.”

“As government, we are tasked with specifying in our policies and legislation, what kinds of work are considered so hazardous as to be seen as a worst forms of child labour. We also have to facilitate the effective elimination of the worst forms of child labour,” he said.