Zimbabwe's child sugarcane laborers: "I've never been to school" -

Zimbabwe’s child sugarcane laborers: “I’ve never been to school”

  • Published on
    November 19, 2019
  • News Source Image
  • Category:
    Child Slavery
Hero Banner

Children as young as seven are performing backbreaking labor on Zimbabwe’s sugarcane plantations, all for just $1 a week in pay.

Tapiwa (not his real name), is one such boy who has been working in the fields for the past six months. His parents died in 2017, prompting him to find some form of income to feed himself and his elderly grandmother.

“I’ve never been to school. This is all I do,” he told the Guardian.

“I am helping my grandmother. If I don’t do it, we will die of hunger. My grandmother does not want me to go hungry, so she encourages me to work. It is tough, I get sick sometimes.”

The Guardian reports:

Tapiwa is joined in this “maricho” (menial work) by his grandmother. They both earn $2 (£1.5) every fortnight.

This goes towards buying food and soap. “I would want to go to school one day so that I [can] buy my grandmother what she wants,” Tapiwa says.

This is life for the poorest young boys at the plantations. Mukwasine farmers have been criticised for underpaying labourers who constitute a critical part of the sugarcane industry in Zimbabwe. In cane cutting season, local farmers want cheap, casual labour.

During school holidays the young labourers work in the cane fields for a meagre $10 per month.

“If I need schools fees, I have to go for maricho,” says one. “Our parents cannot afford books and other things we need for school so we have to work hard.”

Children like Tapiwa work in the sugarcane fields without protective clothing, meaning they are exposed to diseases and snakes.

The government of Zimbabwe has threatened to investigate the sugarcane industry for abuses. Back in May of this year, the country ratified the protocol of 2014 to the Forced Labour Convention, signalling to push to root out the problem.

“We are worried. The ministry is concerned with such a development because we are signatories on the conventions on the rights of the child,” explained labour and social welfare minister Sekai Nzenza.

“We also have a programme which we are running to end child labour. We will do as a matter of urgency an investigation into the case to ensure the protection of these children.”

According to the US Department of Labor, dangerous child labor persists in Zimbabwe’s agriculture and mining sectors, pointing to the deterioration in the economy as a driver of the problem, as well as lack of access to basic schooling.

Subscribe

Freedom United is interested in hearing from our community and welcomes relevant, informed comments, advice, and insights that advance the conversation around our campaigns and advocacy. We value inclusivity and respect within our community. To be approved, your comments should be civil.

stop icon A few things we do not tolerate: comments that promote discrimination, prejudice, racism, or xenophobia, as well as personal attacks or profanity. We screen submissions in order to create a space where the entire Freedom United community feels safe to express and exchange thoughtful opinions.

Notify of
guest
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

This week

S.O.S at sea: forced labor, abuse, and murder in global fishing industry

One in every five fish is caught through illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, often in conditions rife with worker abuse. The United Nations estimates that approximately 128,000 workers are currently ensnared in forced labor on remote fishing vessels worldwide. According to the US Department of Labor, child labor or forced labor has been observed in the production of various seafood items in at least 20 countries, underscoring the global scale

| Wednesday March 13, 2024

Read more