Remember Deketeke-Herald Correspondent
ZIMBABWE is strengthening child protection systems at village and school levels as the Government moves to close operational gaps ahead of a major global summit.
The initiative aims to enhance the early identification and reporting of abuse through community-based committees, confidential reporting channels in schools, and streamlined coordination among Government line ministries, law enforcement, and development partners.
Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister Edgar Moyo announced the measures on the sidelines of a national preparatory meeting held in Harare yesterday.
The session brought together Government and its partners to audit progress on commitments to eradicate violence against children ahead of the Second Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence Against Children.
Minister Moyo emphasised that a unified national response is critical to protecting children and ensuring cases are handled effectively.
“We do not want a fragmented approach to our response to avoiding violence against children. We want a coordinated approach,” Minister Moyo said.
The Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare is spearheading the review to evaluate achievements, identify implementation bottlenecks, and determine further interventions.
At the core of this strategy are decentralised child protection committees established within villages and learning institutions. Notably, these committees include children themselves, enabling learners and youth to voice concerns through their peers when fear or stigma prevents them from approaching adults.
“Some children are not able to freely communicate with others on issues that trouble them. But then they put their peers in those committees, so it makes it easy for them to report those cases,” he explained.
Complementing this approach, schools have introduced suggestion boxes for confidential reporting. Designated committees, led by school heads, are responsible for opening the boxes, identifying cases, and referring them directly to the relevant authorities.
Minister Moyo stressed that sustained training is vital to equip committee members with the skills to spot subtle indicators of distress that might not be immediately apparent. While these sessions are not held daily, members periodically receive capacity-building support through workshops and awareness programmes involving ministry officials, police, and child welfare agencies.
“For example, a child who has been playing freely and happily suddenly becomes withdrawn. Then you know something is happening,” the Minister noted.
The national audit is also evaluating legislative progress, the safeguarding of child rights, and institutional responses to various forms of violence. Minister Moyo stated that this preparatory process allows Zimbabwe to assess its trajectory since the 2024 ministerial conference and translate diplomatic pledges into practical, community-level protections.
“We are looking at the journey that we have travelled this far and asking what the successes and shortfalls have been,” he said.
The findings from this national review will inform Zimbabwe’s position at the upcoming global conference, where participating nations will evaluate international frameworks for preventing abuse and supporting affected children.
