ZIMBABWE: GOODS PRODUCED WITH FORCED OR EXPLOITATIVE CHILD

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 000325

SIPDIS

AF/S FOR BWALCH
AF/EPS for MZIKRY
DRL FOR NWILETT, MMITTELHAUSER, AND TDANG
G/TIP FOR SSTEINER AND RYOUSEY
EEB FOR BBROOKS-RUBIN AND JWINKLER
DOL/ILAB FOR LSTROTKAMP

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PLAB PHUM PREF PGOV KTIP EMIN EAGR ZI
SUBJECT: ZIMBABWE: GOODS PRODUCED WITH FORCED OR EXPLOITATIVE CHILD
LABOR

Ref: STATE 21472


1. This cable provides additional details on goods produced in
Zimbabwe with forced labor and exploitative child labor. Reports
from the government, the International Labor Organization, industry,
and non-governmental organizations that follow labor issues indicate
that the vast majority of child labor in Zimbabwe is not forced and
occurs in a family work setting.


2. The answers below are keyed in response to questions posed in
paragraph 11 of reftel.



A. Good: Diamonds

-- Type of exploitation found in the production of the good: Forced
labor of both adults and children and exploitative child labor.

-- Sources of information and years: Since late 2008 numerous
credible NGOs, local chiefs, and villagers surrounding the Marange
(also known as Chiadzwa) diamond field in eastern Zimbabwe have
reported that both forced labor and exploitative child labor have
occured in Marange. International NGOs including Partnership Africa
Canada have since conducted separate investigations, verifying these
claims. PAC's report "Zimbabwe, Diamonds and the Wrong Side of
History" is available online at:
http://www.pacweb.org/e/images/stories/docume nts/
18_zimbabwe-diamonds_march09-eng.pdf

-- Narrative: Between late 2006 and the present, villagers and
children from communities surrounding the alluvial diamond field
near Marange in Manicaland have abandoned jobs and school and
engaged in small-scale diamond mining, primarily by digging. Up
until late 2008, this mining was not forced or exploitative.
Children and adults alike dug and sold diamonds to local syndicates.


Around October 2008, security forces moved in to allegedly "clean
up" the diamond field and expel the illegal miners. NGOs estimate
that between October and December at least 200 people were killed in
this operation; some bodies were taken to the morgue in nearby
Mutare and others were buried in mass and individual graves near the
diamond fields. During the take-over by security forces, soldiers
and police have formed "syndicates" of illegal diggers. According
to reports, these syndicates are formed mostly by men, but they also
include children--mostly boys--as young as 11, who come to Marange
of their own will to dig. Schools in the surrounding area are
reportedly empty, giving credence to the claims that children prefer
mining to school. Forced and exploitative labor occurs when these
security forces force the miners to dig until meeting a quota or
beat miners severely if they are suspected of stealing or if they
are not able to meet the quota. Soldiers also reportedly fire
"warning shots" to force the miners, including children, to dig
faster. Some workers have fled the area on foot, walking many miles
to escape the area. Soldiers reportedly allow the diggers to keep
lower-grade industrial diamonds while taking the higher-grade
gem-quality diamonds for themselves. NGOs also report that security
forces have sometimes rounded up people from the streets, taken them
to Marange, and forced them to dig under armed guard.

Because the military has sealed off all roads leading to the area
and many people fear for their lives if they disclose activities
occurring in Marange, accurate information on the labor situation is
difficult to obtain and nearly impossible to confirm. Reliable
local NGOs have provided this information either verbally or in
Qlocal NGOs have provided this information either verbally or in
written reports.

Incidence: The Marange/Chiadzwa diamond field is one of three
diamond mining sites in Zimbabwe and is the only diamond site where
forced labor and exploitative child labor is believed to exist.
There are two other diamond mines in Zimbabwe -- Murowa Mine and
River Ranch Mine. Murowa Mine is owned by Murowa Diamonds, a member
of the Rio Tinto Group of Companies. River Ranch is the subject of
a property dispute; however, the dispute has not led to the lawless
situation experienced in Marange/Chiadzwa.

-- Host government, industry, or NGO efforts specifically designed
to combat forced labor of adults or children in production of goods:
The transitional government has reportedly attempted to regain
control of the area and peacefully eliminate all illegal activity,
including forced and child labor. However, Post continues to
receive reports that security forces are beating illegal diamond
diggers, sometimes fatally. We do not know to what extent children
have been affected.

HARARE 00000325 002 OF 002




3. In addition to diamonds, there are other Zimbabwean goods that
may be produced with child labor and warrant further research.
However, it is unknown if this child labor was exploitative or not.
Currently there is only one small NGO, the Coalition Against Child
Labor in Zimbabwe (CACLAZ) dedicated to researching and combating
child labor. CACLAZ lacks adequate resources to conduct research to
verify these claims of exploitative child labor to produce goods.


4. The following goods may be produced with child labor (NOTE: Post
can not confirm incidents of exploitative child labor. END NOTE):

-- Tea. Zimbabwe's largest tea company, Tanganda Tea Estates,
employs children 15 and older in a government-sanctioned
"earn-and-learn" program. Under the program, children are paid
US$30 per month to work four hours per day picking tea. In return,
Tanganda also provides the children with free education, including
school fees, school supplies, and teacher allowances. NGOs and
children working at Tanganda report that some children under 15 are
employed through the program. Tanganda has been certified by the
international organization Ethcal Tea Partnership (ETP),which
seeks to identify companies engaging in unethical practices.
Tanganda executives told us they are currently addressing some
concerns raised by ETP during its routine monitoring of labor
practices on the estate, such as the provision of protective
clothing for "earn-and-learn" workers and the provision of potable
water for workers. Post does not have enough information to confirm
the ages of children working at Tanganda nor to determine if labor
at the tea estates is exploitative.

-- Timber products. Reports indicate children are used to move logs
after they have been cut. However, Post has not been able to
confirm this.

-- Cotton. The vast majority of cotton producers are small-scale.
Children routinely work on their families' plots, although cotton
producers do not believe this has interfered with their education.


-- Gold. Children help their families with small-scale gold panning
and may help during the chemical processing of gold, which often
includes cyanide. However, there is limited public information on
child labor involving use of dangerous chemicals in gold mining.
Post does not have reports of forced labor in larger-scale
commercial gold mines.

-- Tobacco. Preliminary reports indicate children, including those
under 14, may be used in picking tobacco and in removing worms from
tobacco leaves.

-- Crocodile leather and meat. There are unconfirmed reports to
indicate children may be working on some crocodile farms near Lake
Kariba. At least one firm reportedly employs children under the age
of 15 to clean crocodile skins and to clean crocodile pens, even
while crocodiles are in the pens. The company reportedly told an
NGO that the crocodiles are tame and "have small brains" and will
consequently not attack the workers.

MCGEE