Minister Mwamba wants death of 14-year-old probed, warns against employing children as maids

Community Development and Social Services Minister, Doreen Mwamba, has issued a warning to people in the habit of employing children as maids, saying that the law will catch up with them.

Mwamba in a statement issued on Monday said it was time to halt such practices.

“As a Ministry, we would like to warn those in the habit of employing children as maid to desist from such acts because the long arm of the law will catch up with them,” she said.

Mwamba has, therefore, called for thorough investigations into the death of a recent case involving a 14-year juvenile, Janet Chola.

Details of the offence are that on August 30, 2023 around 09:00 hours, the couple identified as Majory Chanda Lulembo and Smart Mumba, aged 30 and 36, respectively went to the University Teaching Hospitals (UTH) Police Post with the dead body of Janet Chola, their maid, to obtain the Brought In Dead (BID) certificate over her death.

Police suspected foul play as the body had multiple physical injuries and immediately investigations were instituted which led to the detention of the suspects in police custody.

Mwamba who sympathised with the family of the deceased, said unless the couple had legally obtained a guardianship status, they were in violation of the law by keeping a child who is not theirs biologically.

“Other than the involved child labour, the act constitutes an offense under the anti-human trafficking Act section 3 of the laws of Zambia, which provides that a person who recruits, transfers, harbours, receives or obtains a child within or across the territorial boundaries of Zambia for the purposes of exploitation, commits an offense.

“As a Ministry, we are committed to continue informing the nation on all acts that infringe on the rights of children to grow, develop and thrive,” she said.

WARNING! All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express permission from ZAMBIA MONITOR.