Child labor to which hundreds of children, aged between nine and 17, are subjected, as well as deforestation and other problems, are worrying the administrative authorities in the provinces of Namibe and Huíla
A meeting between the Governments of Namibe and Huíla, organized recently, discussed several issues involving the two provinces, such as migratory flow and child labor, Namibe and Huíla border relations; situation of the Moçâmedes/Virei, Cainde and Chibia section, in the province of Huíla and the situation of deforestation in the Leba and Umbia mountains.
According to the deputy governor for the political, social and economic sector of Namibe, Abel Capitango, there are 623 children, aged between nine and 17, of which 167 are female, who are subjected to child labor in Namibe.
According to the governor, these children provided farming services, collecting field products and spraying, with a greater incidence on the farms of Carujamba, Tumbalunda and Inamangando, the majority of whom came from the province of Huíla. “The investigation carried out covered the municipality of Moçâmedes (commune of Forte Santa Rita, Mercado 5 de Abril, Mercado do Peixe, Praça dos Eucaliptos, warehouses close to the exit to Lubango/Macala, farms in the Giraúl and Bero River Valley); Lucira commune (Carujamba and Tumbalunda farms); Inamangando commune (Inamangando farm)”, he detailed.
Abel Kapitango said that the weak financial power of many families, aggravated by the economic crisis that is being experienced throughout the country, has been one of the reasons that make school-age children leave their families. Allied to this are the promises of high wages from farmers. In the province of Huíla, these children come specifically from the municipalities of Matala, Chibia, Caconda, Lubango and Chipindo, who are looking for better living conditions and have been victims of abusive exploitation of their rights.
“As a consequence of this movement, children and adolescents become involved in child labor, specifically on farms, cultivating, spraying and harvesting tomatoes; in markets, they work to transport or sell products as street vendors; in the city’s arteries, they work to support fishmongers and customers by providing fish scaling and scaling services. Some minors have become miscreants, getting involved in the consumption of alcoholic beverages and drugs, and committing crimes such as robbery and assaults using bladed weapons”, I emphasize.
Governors ask for everyone’s involvement
The governors of the two provinces, Archer Mangueira (Namibe) and Nuno Mahapi (Huíla) defended the involvement of all social actors in resolving these problems, especially as they affect school-age children. Archer Mangueira said that the first step towards resolving it involves identifying the source of the problem, to later find a more effective and efficient solution. “The two provinces have identical characteristics, habits and customs, which is why the solution to the various problems that afflict them must be joint,” he stated. For his part, governor Nuno Mahapi said it was in the interest of the province he leads to find structuring solutions to the various social problems.
BY: João Katombela, sent to Namibe
