Young children employed to herd cattle

RUNDU – Kavango Regional Governor John Thighuru has urged officials in the Labour Ministry to closely monitor labour practices in communal areas.

In an interview with Nampa, the Governor said he was shocked during a recent visit to the disputed grazing areas in the Ukwangali area, where cattle herders from Oshikoto and Ohangwena Regions are grazing. He said at five villages – Saugcani, Zigizi, Burugo, Kwaki and Mukekete – some of the cattle herders were under the age of 18.According to Thighuru, some of these young cattle herders are aged 11, 13 and 15 years and they are competing with the older ones, especially at wells in providing water to the cattle.He said the young cattle herders told him that they are not paid for the work they do, as most of them claim that they are looking after the cattle of their relatives.”I was very shocked to learn about this situation, looking at these children spending years in the bush herding a large number of cattle,” the Governor said.Thighuru urged Labour Ministry officials in Oshikoto, Ohangwena and Kavango regions to investigate the matter and order those guilty of employing child labour to refrain from such practices.He believes the situation of the cattle herders is against the provisions of the Labour Act on child labour.At Burugo village, Nampa spoke to Twakulila Keholodino (16), who disclosed that some cattle owners are only visiting them once a year.”It is a normal situation to me now, since I have been here for a long period now,” stated Keholodino.The cattle herder maintained that they are surviving from mahangu they are getting from the nearest crop fields of Oshikoto and Ohangwena regions.He said that since he started looking after the 30 cattle, he had received one cow from the owner – no monthly salary or any other benefits.Keholodino said cattle herding was a difficult job because they had to move cattle from one place to another to find grazing, and draw water from wells with a bucket.”We do not have permanent structures such as huts to sleep in; we are sleeping on open spaces,” added the young cattle herder.Asked if there was any way to communicate with the cattle owners, Keholodino said he could only talk to them once a year when they visited, as the grazing areas were very far from telephones.At Kwaki village, a few kilometres from Burugo, another young cattle herder, 13-year-old Thomas Nghede from Namushu village in the Ukwanyama area, told Nampa that he looked after 40 cattle.Nghede also said that cattle herding was a tough job, “But what can I do, I’m ordered to do this work by my uncle.”Asked if he was not interested in attending school, Nghede said: “No, I think looking after my uncle’s cattle means my future is not that bad.”The young cattle herder hopes to have his own cattle and farm one day.But Governor Thighuru believes it is the responsibility of labour officials to inform this group of young cattle herders of their rights.Headman Jonas Haruwodi Mpasi at Burugo village said it was painful to observe how these young cattle herders struggled to provide water to the cattle.Mpasi said the older cattle herders and some local boys sometimes helped them, because the wells were very deep.The headman suggested that cattle owners should make sure they employ adults to look after their cattle.Mpasi further complained about over-grazing in his area because of the large numbers of cattle brought in to graze there.Governor Thighuru was accompanied on his trip by Regional Councillors Herberth Shixwameni, Joseph Sivaku and David Hamutenya, Police and Defence Force officers and some journalists.- NampaHe said at five villages – Saugcani, Zigizi, Burugo, Kwaki and Mukekete – some of the cattle herders were under the age of 18.According to Thighuru, some of these young cattle herders are aged 11, 13 and 15 years and they are competing with the older ones, especially at wells in providing water to the cattle.He said the young cattle herders told him that they are not paid for the work they do, as most of them claim that they are looking after the cattle of their relatives.”I was very shocked to learn about this situation, looking at these children spending years in the bush herding a large number of cattle,” the Governor said.Thighuru urged Labour Ministry officials in Oshikoto, Ohangwena and Kavango regions to investigate the matter and order those guilty of employing child labour to refrain from such practices.He believes the situation of the cattle herders is against the provisions of the Labour Act on child labour.At Burugo village, Nampa spoke to Twakulila Keholodino (16), who disclosed that some cattle owners are only visiting them once a year.”It is a normal situation to me now, since I have been here for a long period now,” stated Keholodino.The cattle herder maintained that they are surviving from mahangu they are getting from the nearest crop fields of Oshikoto and Ohangwena regions.He said that since he started looking after the 30 cattle, he had received one cow from the owner – no monthly salary or any other benefits.Keholodino said cattle herding was a difficult job because they had to move cattle from one place to another to find grazing, and draw water from wells with a bucket.”We do not have permanent structures such as huts to sleep in; we are sleeping on open spaces,” added the young cattle herder.Asked if there was any way to communicate with the cattle owners, Keholodino said he could only talk to them once a year when they visited, as the grazing areas were very far from telephones.At Kwaki village, a few kilometres from Burugo, another young cattle herder, 13-year-old Thomas Nghede from Namushu village in the Ukwanyama area, told Nampa that he looked after 40 cattle.Nghede also said that cattle herding was a tough job, “But what can I do, I’m ordered to do this work by my uncle.”Asked if he was not interested in attending school, Nghede said: “No, I think looking after my uncle’s cattle means my future is not that bad.”The young cattle herder hopes to have his own cattle and farm one day.But Governor Thighuru believes it is the responsibility of labour officials to inform this group of young cattle herders of their rights.Headman Jonas Haruwodi Mpasi at Burugo village said it was painful to observe how these young cattle herders struggled to provide water to the cattle.Mpasi said the older cattle herders and some local boys sometimes helped them, because the wells were very deep.The headman suggested that cattle owners should make sure they employ adults to look after their cattle.Mpasi further complained about over-grazing in his area because of the large numbers of cattle brought in to graze there.Governor Thighuru was accompanied on his trip by Regional Councillors Herberth Shixwameni, Joseph Sivaku and David Hamutenya, Police and Defence Force officers and some journalists.- Nampa