CHILD LABOR IN ZIMBABWE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 003348 SIPDIS AF/EPS FOR TONY HOLMES EB/TPP/BTA FOR VLAD SAMBAIEW DRL/IL FOR CHRIS CAMILLO DOL/ILAB FOR MAUREEN JAFFE AND MARCIA EUGENIO GENEVA FOR USTR UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 HARARE 03348 01 OF 02 210915Z DEPT PASS USTR FOR OAA AND TD E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ELAB EIND ETRD PHUM SOCI ZI SUBJECT: CHILD LABOR IN ZIMBABWE REF: (A) STATE 117330 (B) STATE 100081 (C) 99 HARARE 06372 (D) 99 HARARE 06786 ¶1. (U) REFTELS (A) AND (B) REQUESTED POST'S RESPONSE TO QUESTIONS PERTAINING TO CHILD LABOR PRACTICES IN ZIMBABWE. THIS CABLE, IN CONJUNCTION WITH REFTELS (C) AND (D) FROM OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER 1999, DISCUSSES ZIMBABWEAN CHILD LABOR PRACTICES IN DETAIL AND PROVIDE ANSWERS TO DEPARTMENT'S QUESTIONS. REFTELS (C) AND (D) PRESENTED EVIDENCE IN FAVOR OF REMOVING ZIMBABWE FROM THE DEPARTMENT'S LIST OF COUNTRIES THAT PRODUCE GOODS THROUGH FORCED CHILD LABOR. THE FACTS AND ARGUMENTS PRESENTED IN THOSE MESSAGES REMAIN VALID TODAY, I.E., CHILD LABOR IS VERY COMMON IN ZIMBABWE (PARTICULARLY IN THE COMMUNAL AND COMMERCIAL FARMING SECTORS),BUT "FORCED CHILD LABOR" AND "WORST FORMS OF CHILD LABOR" AS DEFINED BY THE ILO ARE NOT COMMON OCCURRENCES. ¶2. (U) TO RESPOND TO THE REMAINDER OF DEPARTMENT'S QUESTIONS IN REFTELS (A) AND (B),ZIMBABWE IS A SIGNATORY TO BOTH THE ILO'S INTERNATIONAL PROGRAM ON THE ELIMINATION OF CHILD LABOR (IPEC),AND ILO CONVENTION UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 HARARE 03348 01 OF 02 210915Z 182 ON THE WORST FORMS OF CHILD LABOR. TWO PIECES OF ZIMBABWEAN LEGISLATION PROHIBIT CHILD LABOR: (1) THE LABOR RELATIONS ACT (LRA),CHAPTER 28, STATUTORY INSTRUMENT 72, WHICH SETS THE MINIMUM AGE OF EMPLOYMENT IN ZIMBABWE AT 16; AND (2) THE CHILD ADOPTION AND PROTECTION ACT, WHICH INCORPORATES ILO CONVENTION 182 AND PROHIBITS "WORST FORMS OF CHILD LABOR." ¶3. (U) DESPITE THE LAWS ON THE BOOKS, THE GOVERNMENT OF ZIMBABWE HAS DONE LITTLE IN RECENT YEARS TO STOP THE PRACTICE OF CHILD LABOR, WHICH OCCURS FREQUENTLY ON FARMS (BOTH SMALL-SCALE AND COMMERCIAL) AND IN CITIES WHERE CHILDREN OFTEN WORK AS DOMESTIC SERVANTS OR IN THE INFORMAL TRADING SECTOR. AS MORE ADULT ZIMBABWEANS ARE LOST TO HIV/AIDS (AN ESTIMATED 25 PERCENT OF THE COUNTRY'S ADULT POPULATION IS HIV-POSITIVE),THE PROBLEM OF CHILD LABOR IS GROWING, AS CIRCUMSTANCES FORCE MORE CHILDREN OUT OF SCHOOL AND INTO JOBS TO SUPPORT THEMSELVES AND OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS. THE ILO FUNDED A STUDY IN LATE 1999 BY THE GOZ'S CENTRAL STATISTICAL OFFICE ON CHILD LABOR PRACTICES. THE GOZ SENT ITS PRELIMINARY RESULTS TO GENEVA FOR COMMENT AND, ACCORDING TO THE ILO OFFICE IN HARARE, INTENDS TO HOLD A WORKSHOP TO RELEASE THE OFFICIAL RESULTS IN AUGUST 2000. (THE GOZ AND ILO DECLINED TO MAKE A COPY OF THE PRELIMINARY REPORT AVAILABLE TO THE EMBASSY PRIOR TO ITS OFFICIAL RELEASE.) ¶4. (U) IN A JUNE 19 CONVERSATION WITH LABOFF, MS. NELLY DHLEMBEU, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE AT THE MINISTRY OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOR, AND SOCIAL WELFARE, UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 04 HARARE 03348 01 OF 02 210915Z COULD NOT IDENTIFY ANY SPECIFIC GOZ PROGRAMS CURRENTLY IN OPERATION THAT PROMOTE BETTER ACCESS TO PRIMARY SCHOOLING. AS MS. DHLEMBEU EXPLAINED, THE GOZ'S EDUCATION AND SOCIAL WELFARE BUDGETS ARE ALREADY STRETCHED TOO THIN. THE GOVERNMENT CANNOT AFFORD TO HIRE ENOUGH TEACHERS TO FILL DEMANDING POSITIONS IN PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN REMOTE RURAL AREAS (A CONTINUOUS PROBLEM FOR THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION). THE GOZ OFTEN LACKS FUNDS TO MAINTAIN THE INFRASTRUCTURE OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS (PARTICULARLY IN THE RURAL AREAS),MANY OF WHICH SUFFER FROM A LACK OF WATER, ELECTRICITY, BOOKS, SCHOOL SUPPLIES, AND OTHER BASIC NEEDS. AS A RESULT, SAID DHLEMBEU, THE GOZ HAS LITTLE LEFT TO FUND ADDITIONAL CHILDREN'S EDUCATION PROGRAMS. (COMMENT: ZIMBABWE'S ECONOMY HAS BEEN IN A TAILSPIN SINCE 1998 AND CONTINUES TO WORSEN. THE GOZ IS OPERATING ON A SHOESTRING, WITH ALL BUT ESSENTIAL SERVICES AND PROGRAMS ON HOLD INDEFINITELY. WE DO NOT EXPECT TO SEE ANY GOZ FUNDING FOR ADDITIONAL CHILDREN'S EDUCATION OR CHILD LABOR PROGRAMS ANY TIME SOON, UNLESS THE ILO IS THE SOLE CONTRIBUTOR. END COMMENT.) ¶5. (U) SEVERAL NGOS CONTINUE THEIR WORK TO PROMOTE BETTER ACCESS TO EDUCATION AND STEER FAMILIES AWAY FROM CHILD LABOR, BUT THEIR BUDGETS ARE MEAGER AND THEIR SUCCESS LIMITED, PARTICULARLY GIVEN THE FACT THAT CHILD UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED PTQ2799 PAGE 01 HARARE 03348 02 OF 02 210915Z ACTION AF-00 INFO LOG-00 AID-00 CEA-01 CIAE-00 SMEC-00 COME-00 CTME-00 DODE-00 ITCE-00 WHA-00 SRPP-00 EAP-00 EB-00 ED-01 EXME-00 EUR-00 E-00 UTED-00 VC-00 FRB-00 HHS-01 H-01 SSA-01 TEDE-00 INR-00 IO-00 ITC-01 LAB-01 L-00 AC-01 NEA-00 NSAE-00 NSCE-00 OES-01 OIC-02 OMB-01 OPIC-01 PRS-00 ACE-00 P-00 SP-00 SSO-00 SS-00 STR-00 TRSE-00 USIE-00 SA-00 PRM-01 DRL-02 G-00 SAS-00 /016W -------------- 65349E 210915Z /38 R 210920Z JUN 00 FM AMEMBASSY HARARE TO SECSTATE WASHDC 6358 DEPT OF LABOR WASHDC INFO CHILD LABOR COLLECTIVE USMISSION GENEVA UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 02 HARARE 003348 SIPDIS AF/EPS FOR TONY HOLMES EB/TPP/BTA FOR VLAD SAMBAIEW DRL/IL FOR CHRIS CAMILLO DOL/ILAB FOR MAUREEN JAFFE AND MARCIA EUGENIO GENEVA FOR USTR UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 HARARE 03348 02 OF 02 210915Z DEPT PASS USTR FOR OAA AND TD E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ELAB EIND ETRD PHUM SOCI ZI SUBJECT: CHILD LABOR IN ZIMBABWE LABOR IN ZIMBABWE IS A LONGSTANDING, WIDELY ACCEPTED OCCURRENCE. GROUPS SUCH AS SAVE THE CHILDREN U.K., CATHOLIC RELIEF SERVICES, FARM ORPHANS' SUPPORT TRUST -- AS WELL AS SEVERAL FARMERS' UNIONS -- HAVE PROGRAMS IN SOME CITIES AND COMMERCIAL FARMING AREAS. THEIR INFLUENCE IS LIMITED, THOUGH, AND THERE IS RELATIVELY LITTLE INTERACTION BETWEEN THESE GROUPS AND RELATED GOVERNMENT OFFICES (ALTHOUGH THE NGOS' RELATIONS WITH THE GOZ ARE USUALLY QUITE GOOD). MCDONALD UNCLASSIFIED >