The ManicaPost
Liberty Dube
Post Correspondent
This year’s commemorations of the Day of the African Child is bringing together children from across the country to share experiences on the critical issues affecting them.
The commemorations are being held under the theme ‘Eliminating Harmful Practices Affecting Children: Progress on Policy & Practice since 2013’.
This year’s commemorations in Zimbabwe will be marked by the official opening of the Children’s 30th Parliament at City Sports Centre in Harare tomorrow (Saturday), where new child parliamentarians from across the country will be sworn in.
It will be a grand four-day event that will also see the child parliamentarians meeting Members of Parliament, the Speaker of Parliament as well as Members of the Senate.
Organisers of the event say more than 10 000 children are expected to participate at the official opening of the Junior Parliament and the commemorations of the Day of the African Child.
President Mnangagwa is expected to officially open the event.
In an interview early this week, Zimbabwe Youth Council Assistant Director, Youth Programming and Public Relations, Mr Tanzikwa Guranungo said the official opening of the Children’s Parliament is Zimbabwe’s traditional way of commemorating the day of the African Child.
“The child parliamentarians converged in Harare on Tuesday for a series of events before the grand official opening on Saturday. They underwent training on parliamentary procedures, among other issues.
“The Child President, MPs and senators were elected during the week. On Friday (today), there will be a rehearsal for the official opening.
“The children have also had an opportunity to meet the Members of Parliament and Cabinet ministers. We have invited 4 000 children drawn from Harare and provinces near the capital city to be part of the main event. We have also invited ambassadors, diplomats and youth organizations, including United Nation agencies that deal with children and youth programming.
“After Saturday’s official opening, we will take the child parliamentarians to tour the Parliament Building and National Heroes’ Acre where they will lay a wreath on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier,” said Mr Guranungo.
The child parliamentarians will also visit Mbuya Nehanda’s statue before winding up the eventful commemorations.
The Day of the African Child, which was yesterday (Thursday), is a time for Zimbabwe and the world at large to reflect on the progress made towards children’s rights, as well as the barriers they continue facing.
The day is meant to commemorate the 1976 student uprising in Soweto, South Africa.
On this day, students who marched in protest against the poor quality of education in South Africa were massacred by the apartheid regime.
A number of students perished, while many were injured.
Ever since 1991 when the African Union designated June 16 as a day for the celebration of the African Child, the day has been celebrated annually.
