By a Correspondent
The government has raised concern over a growing mental health crisis affecting children, warning that some as young as nine years old are taking their own lives because of untreated psychological and emotional challenges.
Speaking at the National Child Protection Conference, the Deputy Director for Child Protection in the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, Shingirai Paungano, said Zimbabwe urgently needs to prioritise mental health and psychosocial support for children as distressing cases continue to emerge.
“Over the years, we have seen abominable things happening where we have got children as young as nine years old committing suicide because of unaddressed mental health issues,” said Paungano.
He said the disturbing trend underscores the urgent need for stronger interventions to support children’s emotional wellbeing at home, in schools and within communities.
“Issues of mental health and psychosocial support among children need to be taken seriously,” he said.
Paungano commended the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education for implementing anti-bullying policies and strengthening child safeguarding systems in schools, where many mental health challenges are first detected.
“I am glad that we have got the Ministry of Education here, and they have been implementing anti-bullying policies and strengthening child safeguarding at school level, where we have been seeing a lot of mental health issues being reported,” he said.
His remarks came as the government launched the National Action Plan for Children 2026-2030, a new policy framework designed to strengthen the protection and wellbeing of children across Zimbabwe.
Paungano said the latest plan marks a major shift in child protection policy by recognising that all children are vulnerable and require support, rather than focusing only on orphans and vulnerable children.
“With this fourth phase, we are no longer focusing only on orphans and vulnerable children, since all children are regarded to be vulnerable,” he said.
He noted that while Zimbabwe has made significant progress in addressing challenges linked to HIV and AIDS, which shaped earlier child protection programmes, the country now faces new threats requiring a broader and more integrated response.
“The context has changed and there is an evolution in terms of the socio-economic circumstances of our country. The focus is now on all children, leaving no child behind,” he said.
Beyond mental health, Paungano identified child marriage, child labour, online violence and climate-related shocks as some of the most pressing threats confronting Zimbabwean children.
He urged authorities to ensure that existing child protection laws are fully enforced to curb abuse and exploitation.
“We need to ensure that the current laws that we have, which are very protective and comprehensive, are effectively enforced to address these challenges,” he said.
Paungano also warned of increasing dangers associated with children’s growing use of digital technologies, saying efforts to expand digital literacy must go hand in hand with stronger online safety measures.
“Online violence is a current emerging challenge that we are faced with. What is needed is a balance between capacitating children in digital skills and protecting them from harm,” he said.
The conference also saw the launch of the National Child Online Protection Policy, aimed at strengthening safeguards for children in digital spaces.
According to Paungano, the National Action Plan for Children 2026-2030 is built around five strategic pillars: improving access to basic social services, ending violence against children, eliminating child labour, strengthening child protection systems and enhancing institutional capacity.
“The vision is a Zimbabwe where every child enjoys inclusive, sustainable and rights-based care and protection by 2030 and is able to fully develop into a responsible adult,” he said.
The strategy aligns with the National Development Strategy 2 and is expected to guide government and development partners in improving child welfare and protection over the next five years.
