Dispelling myths on child labour in Zim’s tobacco industry

Innocent Mujeri, Correspondent

Recently, reports alleging widespread child labour within Zimbabwe’s tobacco industry have surfaced internationally.

However, these allegations significantly misrepresent the reality on the ground, overlooking Zimbabwe’s proactive commitment to child rights, cultural practices, and stringent legal frameworks designed to combat child exploitation.

Understanding Zimbabwe’s context requires acknowledging cultural practices that are often misunderstood internationally. In Zimbabwe, involving children in household chores and agricultural activities is a traditionally valued method of imparting critical life skills and knowledge transfer across generations.

Such practices are customary, reinforcing community responsibility, work ethic, and family bonds, not exploitative labour. Misrepresenting these practices as abusive overlooks Zimbabwe’s cultural heritage and unfairly tarnishes its international image.

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) clearly defines child labour as work depriving children of their childhood, potential, and dignity, and harming their physical or mental development.

Zimbabwe fully subscribes to this definition and has ratified numerous critical international treaties to underline its commitment to child rights. Among these are the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (1986), the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR, 1991), and several ILO conventions, including the Workers’ Representatives Convention, Paid Educational Leave Convention, and Labour Administration Convention.

These treaties guide Zimbabwe’s rigorous efforts to combat child labour, clearly reflecting the nation’s stance against child exploitation.

Furthermore, Zimbabwe’s domestic legislation explicitly prohibits child labour. The Labour Act (Chapter 28:01) distinctly bans the employment of children under 16, aligning Zimbabwean laws with global standards.

Additional legal instruments like the Children Act (Chapter 5.06), Education Act (Chapter 25.04), Child Protection and Adoption Act, and Mines and Minerals Act further reinforce protections for children, demonstrating comprehensive governmental commitment to safeguarding childhood.

The Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB), Zimbabwe’s tobacco regulatory authority, actively leads efforts against child labour.

TIMB conducts frequent farm inspections and implements modern traceability technologies to ensure strict compliance with both national and international labour standards. Recognising the potential risks to children on tobacco farms, it collaborates closely with the Eliminating Child Labour in Tobacco (ECLT) Foundation, actively working towards eradicating child labour in the sector by the end of 2025.

Key risks addressed include hazardous exposure to pesticides and fertilisers, heavy loads, and machinery operation—tasks clearly prohibited for children.

Additionally, TIMB spearheaded the formation of the Tobacco Industry Working Group on Child Labour (TWCL) in 2021. TWCL unifies stakeholders, including Government agencies, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), farmer associations, and international bodies, adopting the Agricultural Labour Practices (ALP) programme as a sector-wide standard.

This cross-sectoral collaboration strategically addresses child labour through awareness, monitoring, education, and standardisation of ethical farming practices.

The Heritage-based Education 5.0 policy further reinforces the nation’s stance against child exploitation by integrating practical agricultural skills within educational curricula, promoting supervised and protective learning environments.

Thus, agricultural involvement under Education 5.0 is beneficial, explicitly designed to protect rather than exploit children.

To enhance coordination against child labour, TIMB last year hosted a significant cross-sector workshop in Harare titled “Unifying Efforts Against Child Labour in Zimbabwe”. The event convened various stakeholders across agriculture, mining, commerce, civil society, and international organisations, highlighting Zimbabwe’s collective resolve.

Statistical evidence further demonstrates Zimbabwe’s proactive stance.

The 2019 Labour Force and Child Labour Survey reported that approximately one percent of children aged five to 14 engaged in child labour nationally.

Furthermore, Zimbabwe’s ongoing collaboration with UNICEF and the ILO significantly bolsters its capacity to address child labour. Through national action plans, dedicated committees, awareness programmes, and stringent industry oversight, the country showcases genuine efforts aligning with international best practices.

Independent evaluations by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and other international research bodies consistently recognise Zimbabwe’s progress, explicitly noting the nation’s adherence to transparent labour standards through initiatives such as the Sustainable Tobacco Programme (STP).

Additionally, social protection measures implemented by the Government, including targeted support to vulnerable families and children, further minimise exploitation risks. These comprehensive interventions, combined with robust legal frameworks and educational initiatives, have been acknowledged internationally, countering claims portraying Zimbabwean tobacco negatively as “blood tobacco”, a narrative fuelled largely by competing international economic interests.

While vigilance against child labour remains essential globally, Zimbabwe’s tobacco industry has been unfairly portrayed.

Zimbabwean cultural norms, rigorous national and international legal commitments, proactive regulatory measures, strategic educational policies, and international partnerships collectively uphold ethical labour practices.

Allegations of child labour, often strategically exaggerated, undermine Zimbabwe’s economic resilience and its agricultural sector’s international reputation.

Therefore, international stakeholders, consumers, and partners must critically evaluate these claims and acknowledge the country’s substantive, ongoing efforts to eradicate child labour, promote sustainable agriculture, and safeguard child welfare comprehensively.