Five-Year Plan Targets Child Protection Gaps

Staff Reporter

Government has approved a new five-year strategy aimed at strengthening child protection systems and tackling growing threats such as online abuse and child labour, issues that directly affect thousands of children across Zimbabwe.

Speaking at a post-Cabinet media briefing on Tuesday, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Zhemu Soda said Cabinet has adopted the National Action Plan for Children IV, covering 2026 to 2030.

He said the plan focuses on improving access to basic social services, ending violence against children, strengthening families and communities, eliminating child labour, and boosting institutional capacity. It also targets vulnerable groups, including orphans and girls at risk of child marriage.

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According to the Minister, the strategy aligns with Zimbabwe’s laws and international commitments such as the Sustainable Development Goals and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, and will be supported by a monitoring and evaluation framework.

Government says the plan builds on previous child protection programmes and aims to promote what it calls a dignified childhood for all children.

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