{Police in Karongi District have appealed to parents and guardians to shun all tendencies of involving the children in hard labour activities.}
The call was made at a community outreach exercise conducted by police in conjunction with the district administration, held in Rubengera Sector on February 8.
It brought together parents, grassroots and opinion leaders. The campaign is expected to be conducted in all sector of the district.
Inspector of Police (IP) Jean Baptiste Rutebuka, while speaking at the event, reminded them that a child is any person under the age of eighteen, and that should be protected from all hard labour activities.
“The child’s place at this age should be in school not working for money or otherwise,” IP Rutebuka said, warning people who could as well be employing minors as house help.
He noted that some parents involve children in domestic chores, work without rest, which also amount to child labour which is a crime.
Deo Bitegetsimana, the director of labour in Karongi, said that “all children must be in school for at least twelve years for free Primary and secondary education.”
Article 6 of the law regulating labour in Rwanda states that a child shall be subject to the work which is proportionate to his or her capacity; cannot be employed in the nocturnal, laborious, unsanitary or dangerous services for his or her health as well as his or her education and morality.
Under the penal code, any person who imposes forced labour on another person shall be liable to a term of imprisonment of six (6) months to two (2) years and a fine of Rwf500, 000 to Rwf2 million, or one of these penalties.
Source:Police
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