Congo moves to tackle child labour linked to mines
The coronavirus has bitten Congo hard and there are fears that families could begin forcing children to work in mines
Officials in the Democratic Republic of Congo have resolved to tackle child labour in the country’s south-eastern mining heartland.
The move follows concerns that the coronavirus pandemic could drive parents to make their wards work in the mines.
Congo is the world’s largest producer of cobalt, as well as Africa’s number-one producer of copper.
The Central African country also accounts for two-thirds of global supplies of this metal, widely used in manufacturing electrical car batteries and smartphones.
A large proportion of the population is engaged in mining, which accounts for 32% of Congo’s national output.
Slow demand for metals
Despite Congo’s status as a leader in copper and cobalt production, the economy has been hit hard by the outbreak of COVID-19.
Restrictions on movement and travel have also led to a slowing of demand for metals and other raw materials, and mining workers are earning less.
Congolese officials believe the impact on parents’ income could force them to take their children with them to their workplaces, increasing the risk f child labour in the mines.
The local government official who oversees economy and industry in the south-eastern Lualaba Province said some parents are likely to use the economic challenges as an excuse to put their children to work.
“Economic activity has been paralysed during this health crisis and this will have a negative impact on parents’ income,” Mathieu Kazembe Sawana Ilunga told a reporter for Reuters. “But this must not be used as justification for the presence of children in mines.”
Child labour in DRC
The Democratic Republic of Congo has a poor record on child welfare. Reuters reports that roughly 15% of children across Congo aged between five and 17 are engaged in child labour.
A 2019 report by the National Institute of Statistics also found that most of these children are involved in “dangerous” work. However, Congo’s laws allow children above the age of 16 to work, provided labour inspectors deem them fit to do so.
Congo’s official in charge of social affairs, gender and family issues in Lualaba, Nathalie Lunda Ngandu, said the government is engaging legislators and traditional leaders to help combat the problem.
“We will also spearhead two major activities with elected representatives and traditional and local authorities so they get involved … in the fight against the worst forms of child labour, particularly in the context of COVID-19,” Ngandu said.
E A Alanore
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