Govt concerned over missing children, children involved in prostitution

Health and Child Welfare Deputy Minister, Dr Douglas Mombeshora said the Zimbabwe government concerned about the increasing number of children who have mysteriously disappeared over the past few months

Speaking at commemorations to mark the United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child, on Monday, Mombeshora also expressed Government's concern over the increasing number of children involved in prostitution.

He, however, hailed the commemorations - which ran under the theme "Zero Tolerance to all forms of Child Abuse" - as a platform for opening new debates on child issues in different forums.
Zimbabwe, he said, was obliged to protect its children from unruly activities.

"It is noted with great sadness that in our beautiful country of Zimbabwe, children as young as four years are mysteriously going missing. Are the children being stolen for trafficking, child labour, and child prostitution or for satanic ritual purposes?

"It is really alarming to hear of child prostitution, children as young as 10-years-old prostituting for money," he said.

He said poverty remained a fundamental development challenge in Zimbabwe.

Dr Mombeshora called for stiffer penalties against perpetrators of child trafficking, prostitution and pornography. He said there is need for the development of a national strategy to deal with cases of children living on the streets.

Unicef deputy country representative Mr Mark Robins said much more needs to be done to promote and protect the rights of Zimbabwe's children.