Harare - Zimbabwe has recorded more than 7000 child sexual abuse cases from January 2016 to September 2016 alone, the Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry, Walter Mzembi revealed Friday.
“In Zimbabwe for example, data from the Victim Friendly Unit indicates that from January 2016 to September 2016, a total of 7 279 cases of sexual offences against children were recorded nationally,” he said.
“On the other hand, Child Line, who handle such cases, have also reported that from January to June alone, 6 810 child abuse cases were reported to them and this presents a 56 percent increase in comparison to the same period last year.
Muzembi was speaking at the launch of the Regional Report (Sub Saharan Africa 2016) on Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children in Travel and Tourism.
He said the number of abused children was far much more than the country’s combined children’s homes that looked after abused children could cater for.
“It is estimated that our combined homes in Zimbabwe which cater for vulnerable children can only take up to 5000 children annually against a yawning reality that there are about 1.8 million vulnerable children in Zimbabwe,” he said.
Mzembi said while tourism had a potential to grow African economies, it was important for governments to put in place measure that protected children from unintended consequences of travel.
“Indeed increase in travel and tourism in the region multiplied the avenues and opportunities for children to become vulnerable to travelling child sex offenders,” he said.
Mzembi, who is also the current chairperson of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) Commission for Africa said he would endeavour to bring all stakeholders together to ensure countries, while welcoming travel and tourism, protect their children from all forms of commercial sexual exploitation.
He said the report he launched, provided a picture of sexual exploitation of children in travel and tourism in Sub Saharan Africa and proffered recommendations for governments, the private sector and non governmental organisations on how they could combat the vice.
The report was produced through a research commissioned by ECPAT International, an organisation working to end child prostitution, pornography and trafficking of children for commercial purposes.
Mzembi said the report would go a long way in the realisation of the Sustainable Development Goals related to children’s rights to live free from sexual exploitation.
African News Agency