BuaNews (Tshwane)
Nthambeleni Gabara
3 April 2008
Manzini — A new plan aimed at addressing child labour in Swaziland was endorsed by the country's Programme Advisory Committee on child labour Tuesday.
The plan, known as the Strategy and Action on the Elimination of Child Labour, took about four years to develop and contains about 50 outlined steps to follow. The move received strong support from both the Ministers of Enterprise and Employment, Matiti Fakudze and Njabulo Mabuza of Health and Social Welfare.
"It is within our capacity to make Swaziland a country without the worst forms of child labour, but government cannot do it alone, all social partners and other stakeholders have a crucial role to play," said Mr Fakudze. He noted that limited resources might present an obstacle, but he reiterated government's commitment to end child labour. Minister Mabuza described the plan as an instrument that could help the country meet its international commitments as a member to the International Labour Organisation (ILO).
He said these commitments include eradicating all forms of child labour by 2015. Mr Mabuza said his country had "accepted the responsibility of complying with the provisions" of the conventions it had ratified. "Swaziland's commitment is also a matter of necessity if we fail our children in their time of need, our future as a nation will be compromised," he said. The minister urged government officials, business, labour and civil representatives to commit themselves to put the plan into effect. According to recent studies which found the worst forms of commercial sexual exploitation of children, child trafficking and children being used by adults to commit crime occurred in Swaziland. Swaziland is reported to be the fifth country in the Southern Africa region to endorse a national plan to combat child labour. It follows the footsteps of South Africa, Namibia, Lesotho and Botswana.
All the governments in these countries have entered into agreement with the ILO to set up a technical support facility aimed at eliminating worst forms of child labour. South Africa was the first country in the region to develop a national plan to combat child labour. Known as the Child Labour Programme of Action (CLPA), it was adopted in 2003. Its implementation rests with multiple government departments, with organised business and labour and with relevant NGOs. The Ministry of Labour heads up the programme and this plan has recently been updated for the second five-year period of implementation.
Sub-Saharan Africa is the only region in the world where child labour is increasing rather than decreasing, according to a global ILO study completed in 2006. The HIV and AIDS pandemic has played a significant role in fuelling child labour.
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