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Child labour and trafficking discovered in Namibia

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A shocking case of child trafficking and forced child labour involving four young children has been exposed by the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare.
Four San children from the Omega District disappeared at the beginning of this year after they were allegedly lured away by their school matron with promises of employment.
Two of the children were taken to Windhoek where they were employed as domestic workers while the other two were taken to the Zambezi Region to work.
One of the children sent to the Zambezi Region to work for a family still has not been removed from that situation, but the other child has since returned home.

Trafficking, not labour
Dr Felix Musukubili, the deputy director of the ministry’s Labour Inspectorate, yesterday described these cases not only as child labour but also as child trafficking.
“It involves the movement of children from one region to another for economic reasons; there is an element of trafficking,” he said.
The children, who were all enrolled at the Omega Primary School in Grade 4 and 6, were approached by their school matron and recruited for employers in Windhoek, said Musukubili.
According to preliminary information the children were put on a bus to Windhoek where they were collected by an employer and then distributed to other employers.
The ministry discovered two girls aged 14 working in Khomasdal and Windhoek West this week following an investigating into their circumstances and they were removed.
“They were employed as domestic workers earning between N$300 and N$500,” Musukubili said.
The children are being held in places of safety by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare while arrangements are being made to transport them back to Omega and reunite them with their parents.
With regard to the two children sent to the Zambezi Region, Musukubili said an 11-year-old girl was taken to Katima Mulilo to work for a family while the other child, whose age could not be confirmed, has returned home after fleeing from the house where she was employed.
Musukubili said the girl working in Katima Mulilo has not been removed from the family yet. “We have contacted the family in Katima Mulilo and they are willing to co-operate.”
The names of the children and those involved cannot be released as the matter is still being investigated. It was confirmed that charges will be brought against those involved once investigations are completed.

Seriously criminal
Musukubili emphasised that child labour is a crime punishable by a fine of up to N$20 000, or four years’ imprisonment, or both.
He said no cases of child labour had been reported in Namibia in the past few years, but other cases of child trafficking were reported in the country this year.
According to the Control Social Worker, Veronica Theron, these are very serious cases and therefore cannot be discussed. She also said that social media play a role in child trafficking and Namibia is not equipped to deal with this.

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