By MAIMBO MWEEMBA
Labour and Social Security Minister Brenda Tambatamba says about 2.7 million children are engaged in unpaid work activities in Zambia
Ms Tambataba said the estimated number of children in child labour was about 430 thousand while those involved in hazardous child labour was about 29 thousand.
She said that rural areas had 58.1 percent of children in child labour while urban areas accounted for 41.19 percent.
Ms Tambataba said Lusaka province had the highest number of children in child labour followed by Central and Copperbelt provinces respectively.
She disclosed that Eastern, Copperbelt, Lusaka and Western provinces had hazardous child labour rates above the national average of 40.9 percent.
Ms Tambatamba said that to address child labour, Zambia will be reviewing the current Child Labour Policy as part of the National Employment and Labour Market Policy.
“ Zambia has set up a National steering committee to provide oversight on child labour programmes while at district level, Child labour Committees have been set up to implement programmes in a multi-sectoral approach, the country has ratified and domesticated a number of international standards and conventions through promulgation of the Employment Code Act .No.of 2019 which prohibits worst forms of child labour in the country.,” she said
Ms Tambataba said this in a statement availed to the Press Office in Pretoria when she met Zambia’s Acting High Commissioner to that country Audrey Simukoko.
