12 April 2007
A campaign to expose the scourge of child labour is to start on Monday with
road-shows in Cape Town, Polokwane and Kimberly. The drive will be led by
managers of the Department of Labour who will speak about the extent and
gravity of the problem in South Africa.
Zolisa Sigabi the departmental spokesperson said 36 percent of children aged
between 5 and 17 years did some form of economic activity exceeding three hours
in any given week. "This translates to 4,8 million children involved in
economic activity in South Africa and we find this unacceptable. We are also
worried to learn that about 1,7 million children do at least 12 hours economic
work per week," she said.
According to section 43 of the Basic Conditions of Employment Act (BCEA), it
is illegal to employ a child below the age of 15 even if the child requests to
be employed. Sigabi said "the BCEA allows children between the ages of 15 and
17 to work if there are protective mechanisms in place to ensure that the
employer safeguards health and safety requirements."
Enquiries:
Zolisa Sigabi
Cell: 082 906 3878
Issued by: Department of Labour
12 April 2007
