Mbabane – Eswatini’s Minister of Labour and Social Security Phila Buthelezi stated that the government is aware of the vacuum created in the country regarding child labour issues as a result of the vacant office of the multi-sectoral Action Programme on Combating Child Labour Committee, whose term of office expired in 2025.
Buthelezi made a message on World Day Against Child Labour.
“The Committee plays a vital role in coordinating national interventions, strengthening collaboration among stakeholders, monitoring stake implementation of the national programme, and advancing efforts to protect children from exploitation,” he said, adding that it plays a significant role in awareness campaigns and outreach activities against child labour. 
The committee is one of the resolutions of the Action Programme on Combating Child Labour in Eswatini (APCCL) 2021-2026 and a vital means to strengthening the national response mechanism.
Buthelezi stated that the government is dedicated to eliminating the worst forms of child labour, including as hazardous employment, forced labour, commercial sexual exploitation, trafficking, and any work that is likely to affect a child’s health, safety, morals, or development, as a matter of priority.
“Guided by our national laws, international labour standards, and international commitments on the rights of children, we continue to implement measures aimed at preventing, identifying, and addressing child labour throughout the country,” Buthelezi said.
The minister stated that the process of reconstituting the multi-sectoral committee includes employers’ and workers’ organisations, civil society organisations, communities, and development partners.
He stated that sustainable progress can only be achieved through integration.
“To effectively address child labour, we must ensure that children remain in school, families are supported through appropriate social protection measures, and adults have access to productive employment and decent work opportunities that provide sufficient income to support their households,” he said.
He emphasised the commitment to creating an Eswatini where every child can attend school, enjoy their childhood, realise their full potential, and grow up in a safe and supportive environment.
He called for mechanisms that ensure that families are empowered, and adults have access to decent work and sustainable livelihoods to take care of their children.
“The future of the Kingdom of Eswatini depends on the wellbeing, education, and development of our children. Together, let us build a nation where every child is safe, every child is valued, and every child is given the opportunity to thrive,” he said.
