By Tendai Kamhungira
In a case bordering on abuse of minors, a video of a boy — aged about two years — chanting Zanu PF slogans has sparked outrage on social media.
In the clip — which has gone viral — the little boy child, whose identity is unknown, is seen donning Zanu PF regalia as he raises his fist chanting “pamberi navaMugabe”.
He even disses President Robert Mugabe’s long-time rival — MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai — and Zimbabwe People First leader Joice Mujuru.
“…pasi neMDC, pasi naTsvangirai, pasi namai Mujuru (Forward with Mugabe…down with MDC, down with (Morgan) Tsvangirai, down with Mujuru),” the boy chants while an adult male voice retorts in the background.
Several social media users have condemned the act, which they said is tantamount to abuse of the child, however, Highfield West Zanu PF legislator Psychology Maziwisa seemed to warm up to the clip, claiming it showed Mugabe’s level of support.
“If anyone out there still needed any convincing about the extent of … Mugabe’s support in #Zimbabwe here is your answer…,” Maziwisa wrote on his Facebook page, a statement which was accompanied by the video.
This comes after United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) Zimbabwe condemned abuse and exploitation of children after missing activist Itai Dzamara’s brother Patson involved children in a protest demanding their father’s return in August this year.
Following the Dzamara incident, Unicef said, “it is everybody’s duty to ensure that children are not used to advance a particular political cause.
“Children are not political and should be sheltered at all times from the situations that expose them to the risk of harm or violence”.
Apart from Unicef’s concerns, the children’s involvement also did not go down well with the Social Welfare ministry, which felt the children were being exploited and used to “advance a particular political cause”.
Social Welfare minister Prisca Mupfumira was quoted in the State media then stating that, “…the use of children in the protest violates Article 367 of United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), which provides for the protection of children from any form of exploitation, which includes being taken advantage of, in this case it is clear that the organisers of the protest took advantage of these children to get a sympathetic ear”.
She added: “The Zimbabwe Constitution provides that ‘Every child has a right not to be compelled to take part in any political activity’.
“It is doubtful if these children on their own volition volunteered to be part and parcel of this protest.” Daily News
