ILO wants child labour eliminated in Mzimba

 International Labour Organisation (ILO) project technical officer Gracious Ndalama has said they are intensifying interventions to end child labour in tobacco production in Mzimba District.

Speaking on Wednesday at Vibangalala in Traditional Authority (T/A) Mzukuzuku in the district during a meeting with farmers, he said they want people to be aware that government abolished the tenancy labour system in tobacco production, as such, no one should be employed under the system.

Said Ndalama: “We are implementing a project in Mzimba that seeks to address decent work deficits and improve access to rights in the tobacco sector.

“Basically, the project aims at abolishing child labour in tobacco production. We are emphasising this to all farmers to desist from employing children in tobacco production because doing so is breaking the law.”

On the tenancy labour system, he said it was important for people to know that government abolished the system and replaced it with wage bill where landlords in estates are now mandated to pay their tenants, as employees, monthly salaries for a living.

Dimi Dialogue Forum chairperson Happy Nkhoma said they are raising awareness in the communities about child labour.

He said: “We are working with farmers and traditional leaders to make sure that no one employs a child in tobacco farms and when we encounter such cases, we send such children back to school.”

Mzimba district labour officer Russell Mhone said the district is still registering cases of child labour; hence, calling upon all stakeholders to join hands to eliminate the malpractice.

ILO is implementing the project in T/As Mzukuzuku and Mabulabo in Mzimba