Indigenous mentoring and monitoring system amongst Vatsonga speaking people towards child protection

Abstract

Despite most countries in Sub-Saharan Africa being signatories to the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, many children in the region experience conditions that infringe on their right to protection. It appears that the Southern African region traditionally had intact child protection systems, which has since become extinct or is on the verge of extinction. This article is based on a qualitative study that investigated the potential contribution of indigenous knowledge to the protection of children, based on the indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) of the Vatsonga people of Southern Africa. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 40 participants drawn from Zimbabwe and Mozambique. The findings revealed several IKS that could contribute to the mentoring and protection of children. We conclude that the use of IKS could complement formal child protection services in indigenous communities hence the need to promote its revival.