Children in Botswana are subjected to the worst forms of child labour, including in commercial sexual exploitation, sometimes as a result of human trafficking, and forced labour in cattle herding and domestic service, according to the latest Botswana Child Labour and Forced Labour Reports.
The report is a US Department of State initiative. “Research indicates that some children residing in the Dukwi Refugee Camp are subjected to commercial sexual exploitation as they await decisions regarding their refugee status,” states the report.
The report seems to be corroborated by Botswana Police Service statistics of offences involving children (2020-2022). According to official figures from Botswana Police Service issued on 6th April 2023, between 2020 and 2022, the Botswana Police Service (BPS) said it dealt with more than 2 300 abuse cases of children below the age of 15.
‘The police have, in recent times, been inundated with cases of child negligence and ill-treatment by their parents. In worst scenarios, children were left without proper arrangement, in the custody of relatives, guardians or institutions for a considerable period of time,” the BPS said. The Police warned that “As a result of the increase in such cases, we would like to caution members of the public that we intend to intensify operations on defaulters of this crime” adding that it commits to fully upholding children’s rights and ensuring their protection.”
The US Department of State report says key gaps remain in the country’s legal framework, including the lack of a minimum age for compulsory education and a list of hazardous work activities for children.
The report says legal protections for children from commercial sexual exploitation do not meet international standards because the use of children for prostitution is not criminally prohibited.
It says some parents in poor rural communities send their children to work as domestic servants in cities, or at farms or cattle posts, increasing their vulnerability to forced labour. According to the report, children, particularly children from the San minority ethnic group, work on commercial farms in the Ghanzi Region, tending to and herding cattle.
The report says on some farms, employers may withhold food rations unless children perform work.
“Children working in domestic service settings are exposed to various conditions that are indicative of forced labor including confinement, denial of promised educational opportunities and basic necessities, and physical, verbal, and sexual abuse,” the report says.
It says labor inspectors are not authorized to inspect domestic households, and some labor inspectors have faced obstacles in accessing large farms, such as locked gates or denial of entry, inhibiting their ability to identify underage workers.
The report says during the reporting period (2020-2021), Botswana courts convicted a Zimbabwean woman for bringing a 16 year-old child into Botswana for forced domestic servitude. The court imposed a 10-year sentence, marking the first conviction and imposed penalty for human trafficking in 2 years.
The report says although the government convicted four other individuals and initiated two new prosecutions under the trafficking in persons law during the reporting period, the ages of the victims and whether the cases pertained to the worst forms of child labor are unknown.
The report says research indicates that the government is not actively supporting implementation of key national policies for the prevention and elimination of child labor. (
“Child labor elimination and prevention strategies are not included in relevant national policies, including the Education and Training Sector Strategic Plan and the Botswana National Youth Policy,” the report says.
It says there are no government-run shelters that cater to child survivors of human trafficking. “While the government funds and contracts with NGO-run shelters that serve this population, it does not directly provide such services,” the report says.
It says An NGO reported that established shelters lack resources to attend to the needs of older children.
“Although Botswana has programs that target child labor, the design and implementation of these programs are insufficient to fully address the scope of the problem, especially in commercial sexual exploitation, cattle herding, and domestic work,” states the report.