PRESIDENT Hakainde Hichilema has asked UNICEF to begin to redefine the meaning of and distinction between child abuse and teaching children how to work.
Mr Hichilema said he learnt the art of hard work while he was still a child.
He said for him, going out to look after cattle at an early age was not child abuse but a lesson where he learnt the art of hard work.
Addressing children who gathered to celebrate World Children’s Day (WCD) in Lusaka yesterday, President Hichilema said there is need to have a conversation around child abuse.
He added during the world children’s commemorations broadcast live on ZNBC TV 1 that there is a distinction between child abuse and teaching children the art of hard work.
President Hichilema said he does not agree that a child of 13 years should be asking a maid to make him or her a cup of tea.
“I think we must ask UNICEF to begin to redefine the meaning and distinction between child abuse and teaching children how to work… the art of work…the art of responsibility,” he said.
He lamented that modern-day children are losing the art of working for what they need.
Mr. Hichilema said this is a disease that the older ones are passing on to children.
He noted that in Zambia, there is a strange phenomenon where people think that they could live a good life without working.
“In this country, something very strange happened where people believed they could live with good lives without working…just sitting…doing nothing…and somehow they believed that you can have so much cash by sitting…how do we have it? They say go and take it from public coffers… corruption!” he said.
The President has since appealed to the children to understand and distinguish between learning the art of work and hard work from child abuse.
Zambia hosted this year’s world children’s day in Southern Africa in which three countries – Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia – participated.
The commemoration, which was held under the theme, “a better future for every child,” will next year be held in Namibia. – ZANIS.
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