Save the Children expresses deep alarm over the rapidly escalating and increasingly brutal violence against children in Zimbabwe. Recently, social media revealed a shocking rise in cases of children being sexually violated, beaten to death, burned, abducted or kidnapped thereby going missing, often at the hands of caregivers, relatives, community figures, or trusted adults.
This brutality is happening within a vulnerable historical child protection situation. Zimbabwe Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) 2019 report indicates that 5% of girls are married before the age of 15 and 34% before they reach 18, 1 in 3 girls and 1 in 4 boys being vulnerable to sexual violence before they reach 18 and the rate of teenage pregnancies is at 24%.Forty three percent (43%) of children aged 5 to 17 are involved in child labour with 13% involved in hazardous work, 26% in economic activities and 4% in domestic work. A 40% increase in drug and substance use between 2018 and 2030 has been projected1. The situation has evolved on the wrong side that cannot be tolerated. Whilst we recognize the press statement by the Ministry of Public Service Labour and Social Welfare, we still recommend adoption of the following measures to end violence against children: -
We call upon the Government of Zimbabwe to urgently:
Strengthen and enforce child protection laws - Ensure full and effective implementation of the Constitution, Children’s Act and the Children’s amendment Act, the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, and recent national commitments to end violence against children as committed to the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of Children (ACRWC) and United Nation Convection on the Rights of Children (UNCRC).
Guarantee the safety of children in homes, communities, schools, and online - Scale up prevention and reporting mechanisms, including child‑friendly reporting systems, Community Child Protection Committees, school‑based safeguarding structures, and digital safety education.
Respond swiftly and decisively to all cases of violence - Fully resource the Victim Friendly System to provide timely medical, psychosocial, and legal support for survivors.
Ensure perpetrators face swift justice with stiffer penalties.
Accelerate national action on missing children - Establish a coordinated national alert system, improve cross‑border collaboration, and support families reporting missing children.
Scale up parental support and community prevention programmes - Fast‑track the national parenting manual rooted in Ubuntu values, aimed at replacing violent discipline with positive parenting approaches. Completely ban corporal punishment in the home as some of the brutal incidences are happening within the home setup by people in children’s local parentis.
Invest in child protection financing - Increase national budget allocations for child protection services, social workers, helplines, shelters, and community surveillance systems. Strengthen partnerships across government, civil society, and private sector actors.
We call upon all stakeholders—community leaders, faith institutions, civil society, the media, and development partners—to unite in protecting and defending Zimbabwe’s children. Every child has the right to grow up safely, to be loved, and to live free from violence. The current levels of brutality against children are unacceptable and require immediate, collective action.
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. VIOLENCE AGAINST CHILDREN MUST END NOW!
