FARMER IN CHILD LABOUR ROW, Posted by FRANCINAH BAAITSE
A farmer in Ralekgetho village in the Southern district has been accused of employing a 13-year-old boy as child labour.
The boy’s mother, Khutsafalo Motlhaje has accused Kgosi Kgomotso Selotlego and the farmer Kemoabe Kemoabe, of engaging in illegal child labour practices after her son was found at the farm, weeks after disappearing from home. The duo have refuted the allegation as baseless malice.
The boy who went missing in May was found a month later and has since been taken home, but the matter was settled without involving the police. However last week the farmer allegedly demanded P5 500 in compensation over a dead cow, accidentally killed by the boy during his stay at his farm. His unemployed mother, Khutsafalo Motlhaje could not raise the cash and was allegedly told to work as free farm labour until the amount was recovered.
“Whilst at the farm my son prepared homemade traps for small animals such as rabbits. Unfortunately a cow was killed after it was caught in the trap. I was therefore told that I had to pay the amount of P5500 or work for Kemoabe until the money was recovered,” revealed a helpless Motlhaje.
According to the woman, her son disappeared from home in Kanye around May after Kemoabe approached the family and requested to employ the boy. The family say that they refused to release the boy who was habitually deserting school, as they wanted him to resume his education.
“Kemoabe told me he wanted me to work for him when he found me picking oranges at his yard during school hours. We agreed and he approached my aunt with the request,” the boy told The Voice this week.
But Kemoabe denied the allegation and said he never promised the boy employment. “I cannot employ a minor as I know it is illegal, but I kept him at my farmhouse at the request of the chief after the boy was found stranded in the village. Nobody wanted to take him in while they waited for the police or social workers, but he was given to me because he said he wanted to stay with me,” Kemoabe said.
Referring to the damages he is said to have demanded for the trapped cow, he explained: “The social workers suggested that his mother work for me to repay the damage caused by her son, because she did not have anything else to pay with. However I refused as I am a Christian and therefore would never do such a thing.”
Kgosi Selotlego, who the family have also accused of selling their son to illicit labour, declined to comment except to say that he asked Kemoabe to take the child as he had arrived in the village looking for the farmer.
SHOCKING STATISTICS
Nearly all member nations of the International Labour Organization (ILO) regulate the employment of children in industry, and most also regulate commercial work; some nations regulate work in the street trades, while a few control agricultural and household work. Despite such regulation attempts, as many as 26% of all children between the ages of 5 and 14 (an estimated 246 million children) were engaged in economic activity in 2005, with the highest percentage in developing nations in sub-Saharan Africa. Not all such work is considered child labour, but some 186 million children were estimated to be involved in child labour as defined under international agreements.
The boy’s mother, Khutsafalo Motlhaje has accused Kgosi Kgomotso Selotlego and the farmer Kemoabe Kemoabe, of engaging in illegal child labour practices after her son was found at the farm, weeks after disappearing from home. The duo have refuted the allegation as baseless malice.
The boy who went missing in May was found a month later and has since been taken home, but the matter was settled without involving the police. However last week the farmer allegedly demanded P5 500 in compensation over a dead cow, accidentally killed by the boy during his stay at his farm. His unemployed mother, Khutsafalo Motlhaje could not raise the cash and was allegedly told to work as free farm labour until the amount was recovered.
“Whilst at the farm my son prepared homemade traps for small animals such as rabbits. Unfortunately a cow was killed after it was caught in the trap. I was therefore told that I had to pay the amount of P5500 or work for Kemoabe until the money was recovered,” revealed a helpless Motlhaje.
According to the woman, her son disappeared from home in Kanye around May after Kemoabe approached the family and requested to employ the boy. The family say that they refused to release the boy who was habitually deserting school, as they wanted him to resume his education.
“Kemoabe told me he wanted me to work for him when he found me picking oranges at his yard during school hours. We agreed and he approached my aunt with the request,” the boy told The Voice this week.
But Kemoabe denied the allegation and said he never promised the boy employment. “I cannot employ a minor as I know it is illegal, but I kept him at my farmhouse at the request of the chief after the boy was found stranded in the village. Nobody wanted to take him in while they waited for the police or social workers, but he was given to me because he said he wanted to stay with me,” Kemoabe said.
Referring to the damages he is said to have demanded for the trapped cow, he explained: “The social workers suggested that his mother work for me to repay the damage caused by her son, because she did not have anything else to pay with. However I refused as I am a Christian and therefore would never do such a thing.”
Kgosi Selotlego, who the family have also accused of selling their son to illicit labour, declined to comment except to say that he asked Kemoabe to take the child as he had arrived in the village looking for the farmer.
SHOCKING STATISTICS
Nearly all member nations of the International Labour Organization (ILO) regulate the employment of children in industry, and most also regulate commercial work; some nations regulate work in the street trades, while a few control agricultural and household work. Despite such regulation attempts, as many as 26% of all children between the ages of 5 and 14 (an estimated 246 million children) were engaged in economic activity in 2005, with the highest percentage in developing nations in sub-Saharan Africa. Not all such work is considered child labour, but some 186 million children were estimated to be involved in child labour as defined under international agreements.
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