Child vendors rampant at Beitbridge border

By Samuel Takawira

BEITBRIDGE – Multitudes and multitudes of travelers wander up and down the Beitbridge border post bus terminus.  

At one end is a group of young men enjoying the fatal, alcoholic and illegal ‘zed’ drink. On the other end, are bounteous cross-border ladies battling against time to declare their wares to the revenue officials.

At the centre of the terminus are touts clamouring for travelers. Some are snatching bags from the travelers, confusing them to end up being on buses that are not even going to their destinations.

Every time a bus roars into the terminus, a mob of excited vendors outpace each other racing to the bus to trade their stuff. Much to the surprise of this reporter, some of the vendors are children as young as nine. They tussle for the best spot as they race against time to finish their wares before dusk.

The scorching heat, familiar with Beitbridge is not an excuse for these children as they continue to ramble around selling bottled water, airtime, magwinya (fat cooks), freezits, biscuits and plain buns.

To these kids, vending at the border post is often a last resort option after failing to illegally migrate into South Africa. They move from house to house in the border town in search of piece jobs to survive for another day.

They finally get vending jobs which pay a paltry R100 per week which translates to R400 a month. Susan Thembo 11 who is originally from Chipinge said that the R400 she is receiving as payment is nothing considering that she has to buy food as well as sending some of it back home to parents.

“We only go home after exhausting our stuff and this means we have to spend more than 12 hours selling,” Thembo said.

She added that they are often abused and robbed of their money by big ‘guma gumas.’

“We cannot dare report them to the police because it may invite more troubles for us. We will not sell at the terminus again,” she added.

“At least I am surviving. I am too old to go back and continue with grade four studies,” said Tafara Mhere.

Mqondisi Dabile, a 15 year old boy narrated his ordeal to this reporter saying that he ended up vending at the Beitbridge border post because he had failed to cross into South Africa to join his siblings who were working there.

Silus Ndhlovu from Beitbridge explained how these children end up being engaged as vendors at the border post.

“We have a high rate of child vending at the border because most of them run away from home with the intention of crossing into South Africa. Having failed to accomplish their mission, they are forced to turn to vending to make ends meet,” said Ndhlovu.

Catherine Shumba (not her real name) expressed her agony over the business of selling at the border.

“Ini zvekutengesa izvi handizvidi, asi amai ndivo vanoti enda unotengesa, dzimwe nguva vanhu vanondituka vachiti munotengesa mvura isina utsanana. Dzimwe nguva handiende kuchikoro nokuti ndinenge ndiri pano ndichitengesa,” she emotionally narrated.

(I don’t like this vending business but I am forced by my mother who even insults me when I sell water without maintaining hygiene. Sometimes I abscond lessons at school to sell at the bus terminus)

A source who spoke on conditions of anonymity said that her business is flourishing because of high returns she acquires from using cheap labour from these desperate children.

“I prefer to utilize this cheap labour so as to make considerable profits, the children are easily available and  they even beg to  trade my staff on commission said the source adding that the youthful vendors are obedient as long as you furnish them with their weekly earnings.

A city father who felt comfortable with  identifying himself as Regis revealed that the tales of these minors are tear dropping as they are at times intimidated and harassed by local  council authorities.

“We understand that trading without a license is contrary to the rules and regulations of the council but the way some of the council officers treat these minors is highly unethical.

“At times when they are caught off guard with these security officers they are forced to bribe them which means it will be a deficient to their employers who will not tolerate this and deduct this amount from the poultry salary,” said Regis.

In an interview with this reporter, Beitbridge Town Secretary, Dr Theo Singo blamed the economic hardships facing the country which he said is driving these children into vending.

“We have children as young as 10 coming from all over the country to find their way into South Africa; they are all driven by poverty that is hitting most of the country’s rural areas. They are also driven by the perception that life in South Africa is rosy,” said Dr Singo.

African Youth Charter which Zimbabwe is a signatory to prohibits the economic exploitation of children. The charter also forbids children from performing work that is likely to be hazardous to or interfere with their education, or to harmful to their health or holistic development.

On the other hand the International Labour Organization (ILO) regards this as dangerous and unsuitable to children. In their books this is daylight child abuse; it also sees child labour as work that children should not undertake because it is dangerous and unsuitable to them.

In 2010, South Africa had an estimated 3 million Zimbabweans the majority of whom were illegal migrants. The number has dwindled due to the unity government’s economic revival drive that has resulted in stabilization of the economy.