Two children were burnt beyond recognition on Saturday afternoon in Esigodini after the bedroom hut they were sleeping in caught fire.
The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) confirmed the incident, saying the children’s mother had left them unattended while she visited a local business centre. The Police statement reads:
<blockquote>
The ZRP reports a sad incident in which a girl (4 years) and a boy (2 years) were burnt beyond recognition after a bedroom hut they were sleeping in caught fire on 12/04/25 at around 1630 hours at Esibomvu area, Esigodini.
The incident occurred after the victims’ mother had reportedly locked the bedroom door from the outside and went to Esibomvu Business Centre.
</blockquote>
In a separate incident earlier this month, a toddler tragically perished in an inferno at a homestead in Village 3, Dromoland, Inyathi, Nkayi, after the house she was sleeping in caught fire.
The mother had left the child lying on the bed while accompanying the toddler’s 4-year-old brother to school. The baby girl was 1 year and 5 months old.

Pindula News

Two children were burnt to death in a fire in Esigodini. Their mother left them alone while she went out. The children, a 4-year-old girl and a 2-year-old boy, were sleeping in a hut when it caught fire. The girl and boy were burnt so badly they could not be recognized. This is not the only tragic fire incident recently, as another baby girl died in a fire in Inyathi. The baby was left alone in a house while her mother took her brother to school. It is important to always be careful with fire and never leave children alone.

Two Sleeping Children Burnt Beyond Recognition In Esigodini

The Government of Zimbabwe, through the Minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Kazembe Kazembe, rejected claims by South African officials that 42 buses carrying 443 unaccompanied minors were intercepted at Beitbridge Border Post on the SA side.
Kazembe on Tuesday, 05 December told journalists in Harare that the claims were false. <a href="https://www.herald.co.zw/zimbabwe-has-no-record-of-child-trafficking-in-sa/">The Herald</a> quoted Kazembe as saying:
<blockquote>
We have noted with concern media statements attributed to the Minister of Home Affairs, Republic of South Africa, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, alleging that 42 buses carrying 443 unaccompanied minors were intercepted at Beitbridge Border Post on the South African side. We wish to categorically state that no such incident occurred.
If there was a case of human trafficking of minors, the buses, the drivers and the crew would now have been arrested facing human trafficking charges as guided by the Trafficking In Persons legislation common to both jurisdictions in line with our regional and international obligations.
</blockquote>
Kazembe said as of Tuesday night, Zimbabwe had not received the children allegedly intercepted by South African authorities. He said:
<blockquote>
To date, Beitbridge Border Post has no record of any 42 buses denied entry into South Africa or 443 minors intercepted or handed over to Zimbabwe authorities.
If there is any information to the contrary, we hope to be advised through the well-established communication channels between the two countries.
</blockquote>
Kazembe added that the Government was aware that during festive periods, Zimbabwean parents based in South Africa would invite their children to that country once schools closed. He said:
<blockquote>
We are, however, aware that during the festive period, once schools close, Zimbabwe parents resident in South Africa, especially on Zimbabwe Exemption Permits, which do not allow for the inclusion of any dependants, invite their children to South Africa for the festive season.
It is a requirement that the minors travel with their guardians accompanied by supporting affidavits obtained from their consenting parents in line with agreed procedures.
However, of late, the South African authorities are not accepting commissioned affidavits preferring that the minors and their guardians tender affidavits commissioned by local courts.
As Zimbabwe, we remain committed to cooperating with our South African counterparts and the region to ensure that movement through our borders remains safe, orderly and regular.
</blockquote>
South Africa’s Border Management Authority (BMA) Michael Masiapato was on Sunday quoted as saying 443 unaccompanied children were intercepted at the Beitbridge Border Post allegedly being trafficked into the country from Zimbabwe on Saturday night.
Masiapato said that a total of 42 buses intended for South Africa were stopped and searched in a sting operation at the border post in Musina, Limpopo.
He also said the children were denied entry “and we activated the Zimbabwean officials to process them back into Zimbabwe.”
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Zimbabwe Denies Child Trafficking Claims By South African Officials

According to the latest Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee (ZimVAC) report, 42 percent of the children in the rural areas are out of school. The children are failing to go to school due to long distances, illnesses and other hardships.
Part of the report reads:
<blockquote>The proportion of children not attending school due to illness is a cause for concern. We recommend the prioritisation of resource allocation towards the strengthening of the School Feeding and School Health Programmes. The proportion of children of school going age who were not in school due to financial constraints remains significant. There is need for the Government to increase Basic Education Assistance Module (BEAM) funds so that vulnerable children can be supported.
The reason that children were being considered too young to go to school and that of schools being too far may be suggestive of limited physical access to school, particularly those that cater for Early Child Development levels.</blockquote>
More: <a href="http://www.chronicle.co.zw/42-rural-pupils-out-of-school/">Chronicle</a>

42 percent of children in rural areas not going to school : ZimVAC report

Zimbabwe Chiefs Council President Fortune Charumbira has challenged female Senators to all get pregnant before the end of the year to prove they were sincere about their calls for locals to produce at least 8 children.
Charumbira’s challenge comes after Mashonaland West Senator Mike Byton Musaka moved a motion urging government to encourage Zimbabwean couples to produce a minimum of eight children. The controversial motion received overwhelming support from male and female Senators from both Zanu PF and MDC-T who in their arguments said that larger populations stimulate economic growth and attract investors. However Charumbira criticised fellow Senators for remaining fixated in their old African thinking and demonstrating poor understanding of how economies functioned and said:
<blockquote>As someone who is learned and is a chief, I want to say that the idea that the bigger the population, the more the country is developed is a false phenomenon. We do not want to go out there and begin to talk about things that will make us a laughing stoke as senators who are not learned. There are also some small countries like Switzerland which has a population of about 7 million, but their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is probably five times greater than that of Zimbabwe.</blockquote>
Charumbira said those advocating many children should start by revealing how many children they had themselves before they could start encouraging the others to do the same. Said Charumbira:
<blockquote>Recently, I read in the paper that a woman of 65 years was staying with one of the relatives who is 19 years old. They fell in love and agreed to have a child at 65 years old. That was in the paper. In this House, I looked at everyone and saw that there is no off-layers because no one is 65. The motion that you are supporting, the 65 year olds are having children. In November, we want to see all of you pregnant so as to ensure that you are serious with the support that you have given to this debate.</blockquote>
More: <a href="http://www.newzimbabwe.com/news-34983-Get+pregnant,+Chiefs+head+to+Senators/news.aspx">NewZimbabwe.com</a>

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