04 Mar 2025

The Minister of Labour and Home Affairs has urged stakeholders to accelerate the implementation of signed conventions and improve documentation of child labour
cases in the pursuit of eliminating this pressing issue.

Officiating at a workshop in Gaborone yesterday, Minister, Maj. Gen. Pius Mokgware said child labour should be outcome-focused, moving beyond mere statistics used for funding purposes.

According to the Children’s Act of 2009, a child is defined as anyone under the age of 18. On the other hand, the country’s Employment Act allows 14-year-olds to work, provided that they are not attending school and the work is considered ‘light’ and safe a provision applicable only when done for family or with the consent of the labour commissioner.

Maj. Gen. Mokgware highlighted the prevalence of child vendors in areas like Mogoditshane, noting that many children were forced to work instead of attending school.

He identified child trafficking, forced labour, commercial sexual exploitation, drug trafficking, and hazardous work as forms of child exploitation found in Botswana.

Stressing the urgent need for collaborative efforts to eliminate child labour, Minister Mokgware said children were often deprived of their rights to education, health, and a safe environment.

Such deprivation, he said, exposed them to dangerous work conditions that threaten their safety and dignity. He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to combat child
labour, advocating for a multi-sectoral approach.

Botswana has ratified important International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions, including the Convention on the Worst Forms of Child Labour (No. 182), along with national laws like the Children’s Act (2008) and the Anti-Human Trafficking Act (2014), which are vital in this ongoing battle.

In his welcome remarks, Mr Jimmy Opelo, the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Labour and Home Affairs, described child labour as a violation of children’s rights that robbed them of their childhood and future opportunities.

Mr Opelo said statistics revealed that millions of children globally were forced into hazardous work and denied education, supporting the significance of the workshop
in addressing the issue.

H e  s a i d  B o t s wa n a  wa s  committed to the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Code of Conduct on Child Labour and is revising its labour laws to align with international standards, including redefining childhood in accordance with the Children’s Act.

M r  O p elo  s t r e s s e d  t h e  importance of collaboration among the government, NGOs, communities and international partners to overcome child labour. He acknowledged current initiatives, including a US-funded project aimed at reducing child labour.

The workshop, based on knowledge sharing and capacity building on the development of national action plans on the elimination of child labour, aims to enhance the understanding of child labour and share best practices among participants in the fight against the issue. ENDS