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Understanding Zimbabwean Child’s Rights

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Most Zimbabwean children are going through a rough upberinging perioid mainly induced by a brutal economic environment that has seen them being deprived of most fundemental rights, needs and wants.

While these may seem similar, Rights are far distinct from wants and needs which many will never have in their lifetime, but there is an obligation for every parent or adult to make sure that that thye protect and defend the rights of the children

Such rights include the right to education, shelter, care, protection and parenting amongst others.

Essentially, the Zimbabwean government is not in a position to adequately fund and sustain social protection for children such as the Basic Education Assistance Module (BEAM). In order to enhance investment in children in the ensuing environment, National Association of Non Governmental Organisations (NANGO) are advocating for a child friendly budget, that prioritises children and allocates more resources to ministries responsible for children’s issues and engaging with government on revenue generation issues to open up fiscal space for investing in children.

The Government of Zimbabwe has ratified most child rights instruments such as the United Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), the United Nations Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Sale of Children; Child Prostitution and Child Pornography (OPSC); the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict (OPAC); the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACRWC) and many other related child rights instruments. However it is important to note that the Government of Zimbabwe has not yet ratified the Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption.

This convention is an international agreement to safeguard intercountry adoption and is relevant in the foster care process as it is evident that most adoptions begin as foster care cases.

Generally, governance refers to the process of rulemaking and enforcement, and the CRB reviews whether a government has pursued aspects of good governance in its implementation of the UNCRC. Good governance upholds
citizen rights, provides transparent access to information, relies on consistent decision making and rule of law and pursues furtherance of the public good.


Zimbabwe scores 0,304 out of a possible 1,0 and ranks third out of the four CRB countries considered for this exercise. The score mainly reflects the weakness of the formal bodies that monitor and hold accountable actors tasked with child protection. Zimbabwe is in process of consolidating the legal framework addressing children, with the Children’s Amendment Bill and the Child Justice Bill expected to be finalized this year (2018).

The review will ensure the alignment of laws with the 2013 Constitution of Zimbabwe which has provisions for children that are in line with the UNCRC.

While the general principles of the UNCRC are reflected by the legislation in the country, and it is possible to invoke these principles before the courts, the Convention does not take precedence over the domestic law (where there is a conflict), as international treaties and conventions that have been ratified by a government representative on behalf of the government of Zimbabwe shall not be binding unless they have been domesticated or
incorporated into an Act of Parliament.

Children’s Act (Chapter 5:06) in Zimbabwe. The shortfalls such as lack of clarity around the definition of child, creates disharmony between the Children’s Act and the provisions of both international and domestic legal instruments.

The Children’s Act does not provide for the establishment of Child Protection Committees (CPCs) despite the
fact that article 19 of the UNCRC states that states parties should establish social programmes and structures for
the identification, reporting, referral, investigation, treatment and follow-up of instances of child maltreatment.


The Child Protection Model Law (2013) also provides for the establishment of CPC at various levels of
governance. Furthermore, the Child Protection Model states that at national level, CPCs will be known as the
Highest Child Protection Agency (HCPA) and in Zimbabwe it can be likened to the Working Party of Officials.
The HCPA is responsible for advising on national child protection formulation, monitoring of CPCs at regional
level and developing programmes aimed at protecting children.

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