VZCZCXRO7689
RR RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHSB #1475/01 3521255
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 181255Z DEC 06
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHDC
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0928
INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
RUEHUJA/AMEMBASSY ABUJA 1402
RUEHAR/AMEMBASSY ACCRA 1257
RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA 1406
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 0136
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 0667
RUEHDK/AMEMBASSY DAKAR 1032
RUEHKM/AMEMBASSY KAMPALA 1460
RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 3853
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 1229
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 1882
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 0608
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1622

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 001475 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
AF/S FOR S.HILL 
DRL/IL FOR TU DANG 
STATE PASS TO DOL/ILAB FOR TINA MCCARTER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM ELAB ZI
SUBJECT: UPDATE FOR WORST FORMS OF CHILD LABOR REPORT - 
ZIMBABWE 
 
REF: A. STATE 184972 
     ¶B. 05 HARARE 01310 
 
------- 
Summary 
------- 
 
¶1. (U)  In 2006, Zimbabwe endured the seventh straight year 
of economic contraction.  According to NGOs and labor groups, 
the incidence of child labor has continued to increase as a 
result of declining economic and social conditions, which 
have made children more susceptible to the exploitative forms 
of child labor.  The GOZ did not promulgate any new child 
labor laws or regulations in the past year.  The ongoing 
economic crisis severely impeded the government's ability to 
address its child labor problems.  Several international 
donors, however, provided multi-year funding to support 
social programs.  According to a government study, poverty 
was the leading reason for children leaving school and 
seeking work.  Post to provide research material to DOL ILAB 
via pouch.  End Summary. 
 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
Poor Economic & Social Conditions Lead to Child Labor 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
 
¶3. (U) The country is now in its seventh year of steep 
economic decline.  According to the IMF, GDP dropped 5 
percent in 2006, inflation had reached 2000 percent by year's 
end, and unemployment in the formal sector was estimated at 
over 70 percent.  According to a December 6 IRIN news 
article, a government survey found that between 1995 and 
2003, more than 63 percent of the rural population, and 53 
percent of the urban population, were unable to afford both 
basic and non-food requirements.  Meanwhile, one prominent 
local economist estimated that over 80 percent of Zimbabweans 
lived below the poverty datum line (PDL), which calculates 
the minimum required for a family of six to pay basic 
expenses. 
 
¶4. (U) NGOs and labor groups consulted indicated that the 
patterns and concerns identified last year remain.  In 
particular, they noted increasing levels of child labor as a 
result of the worsening economic conditions.  An article in 
the government-controlled Daily Mirror on November 28 quoted 
Gertrude Hambira, secretary general of The General 
Agricultural and Plantation Workers Union of Zimbabwe 
(GAPWUZ), as saying that child labor "was rampant on farms," 
as worker's wages were insufficient to support a family and 
children were seeking work to help supplement the family's 
income.  GAPWUZ estimated that of the approximately 200 
thousand farm workers in the country, 10 percent were 
children below the age of 16. 
 
¶5. (U) UNICEF reported that Zimbabwe now has the highest 
number of orphans in the world due to its severe HIV/AIDS 
pandemic.  According to UNICEF, approximately 1.6 million 
children in Zimbabwe are now orphaned, having lost at least 
one parent, and the number is growing.  A July 4 article in 
the state-run Daily Mirror quoted Moreblessing Kwangware, 
spokesperson for Zimbabwe National Council for the Welfare of 
Children, as saying that "as long as (Zimbabwe has) the 
prevalence of HIV/AIDs and the difficult economic conditions, 
(it) will always fight a losing war against child labor." 
 
--------------------------------------------- -------------- 
Government's Safety Net Remains Inadequate and Under-Funded 
--------------------------------------------- -------------- 
 
¶6. (SBU) There were no changes to Zimbabwe's child labor laws 
or enforcement mechanisms in the past year.  The GOZ is 
 
HARARE 00001475  002 OF 002 
 
 
making efforts to address children's issues through social 
programs.  However, without resources of its own, it is 
obliged to seek assistance from other governments, 
international organizations and NGOs.  UNICEF is managing a 
"pooled funding mechanism" for the "Project of Support," 
which provides funding to social welfare programs such as the 
National Action Plan for Orphans and Vulnerable Children (NAP 
for OVC).  To date, the project has received US$6 million 
(over 4 years) from the Swedish International Development 
Agency (SIDA), US$40 million (over 4 years) from the British 
Department for International Development (DFID), and US$440 
thousand from the New Zealand Agency for International 
Development (AID).  Additionally, Germany has pledged US$22 
million and the European Commission has pledged $US2 million. 
 USAID gave US$1.6 million for work that supports the NAP for 
OVC in 2006, and will increase that to US$2.6 million in 2007. 
 
¶7. (U) The International Labor Organization (ILO), UNICEF and 
International Organization for Migration (IOM) are reportedly 
meeting in the near future with The Ministry of Public 
Service, Labor, and Social Welfare to discuss child labor 
issues and the implementation of ILO Convention 182, 
including drafting a list of occupations that qualify as the 
worst forms of child labor.  For its part, the public service 
ministry continues to provide school fees and books through 
its Basic Education Assistance Module (BEAM) and Children in 
Difficult Circumstances (CDC) programs.  Several child 
welfare advocacy groups, however, reported that BEAM and 
other government programs focusing on children were still 
severely under-funded given the level of need, and the 
government often used access to such programs as a political 
tool to reward supporters. 
 
--------------------------------- 
Government Study Finally Released 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶8. (U) In March the CSO finally released the child labor 
survey completed by the GOZ in December 2004.  The survey 
found that 42 percent (2,683,393) of children ages 5 to 14 in 
Zimbabwe were involved in economic activity and 16 percent 
(423,880) of the same age group were involved in economic 
child labor in 2004.  The study also found that 95.8 percent 
of these children were employed in the agriculture, hunting 
and fishing sector, with the remainder working as domestic 
employees or in the hotel and restaurant, manufacturing, 
construction and mining industries.  A quick comparison with 
the 1999 CSO study shows that child labor is on the increase. 
 
¶9. (U) The CSO study also looked at school attendance. 
According to the 2004 figures, 81.2 percent of children ages 
5 to 17 were attending school and 10.6 percent had left 
school.  The study stated that "primary school was compulsory 
for every school age child" (Note: but not free) and that it 
was the duty of the parent to ensure attendance.  The most 
frequent reason given for leaving school was financial 
constraint. 
 
¶10. (U) According to UNICEF's 2006 State of the World's 
Children report, Zimbabwe had 80 percent net primary school 
enrollment in 2004; however, children's welfare activists 
believe this number to be much lower now due to Operation 
Restore Order and the resulting displacement of thousands of 
children from their homes and schools (Reftel B).  The Child 
Protection Society told us that girls were more likely to 
leave school than boys because girls were more readily 
employable, especially as domestic workers. 
 
¶11. (U) Post will provide DOL ILAB with a copy of the CSO 
child labor study and other reference materials via pouch. 
SCHULTZ