Just how safe are our children amidst a wave of killings?

The unresolved killings and abductions of children in Njombe District have come hot on the heels of a reported increase in cases of attacks, abuse, psychological torture of minors and defilement in Tanzania, much to the bewilderment of ordinary citizens and rights campaigners.

The question that still begs an answer is: “How safe are children in Tanzania? This is being raised now as agonising families await a lasting solution to the growing threat to the life of children in the wake of the killings in Njombe Region and other reported cases of child abuse, countrywide. Police reports suggest a rise in cases of defilement for children since 2014.

In that year alone, 422 children were defiled. In 2015, the number rose to 2,358. And, between January and March 2016, 1765 had been defiled. Apparently, there is widespread concern over children’s safety and level of security as the abuse cases, coupled with the wave of killings in Njombe takes an unexpected turn.

On Monday, 10 children who had been kidnapped in the region were found dead with their body parts mutilated, authorities told The Citizen. Authorities have linked the killings and abductions to witchcraft, yet much is still desired in terms of investigation.

Ms Lilian Liundi, who is the executive director of the Tanzania Gender Networking Programme (TGNP), wants the committee set up by the office of the Njombe Regional Commissioner to release a detailed report, which should guide the government to find a lasting solution to the killings.

She also suggests that going forward, the government should ensure that it deals with this spate of killings in accordance with Section 12 of the Witchcraft Act 1998.

Home Affairs minister Kangi Lugola has since told Parliament that the authorities already had names of the perpetrators linked to the incidents of killing, yet until yesterday when another child — the 11th in a month of bizarre murders — was found dead in the region. The said perpetrators hadn’t been brought to justice.

Parents, human rights defenders, gender activists and academics have told The Citizen in separate interviews that the Njombe crisis could just be a tip of the iceberg. They have called on the families and the authorities to intervene swiftly by looking at the crux of the abuse cases and child killings.

Mr Edwick Mapalala, the director of Regional Psychosocial Support Initiative (Reppsi) Tanzania, says parents shouldn’t pretend to be busy with work and forget to ensure that the security of their children is guaranteed.

“There are clear signs that parents are not playing their part in adequately protecting their children,’’ says Mr Mapalala. He says there are a number of children who have been left to wander aimlessly on the streets and their parents didn’t know.

Mr Danford Nziku, the father of three children who were found dead and their organs chopped in Njombe, has attributed the killings of his children to a family conflict between him and his nephew. The three children who died are 11-year-old Godliva Mwenda, Gasper Nziku, 8, and five-year-old Gilid Nziku.

Ms Grace Kisetu, head of Activism and Movement building at TGNP, says a study by her organisation revealed recently that 72 per cent of girls and 71 per cent of boys are beaten. Some of the children, she says, without their parents knowing.

She believes there is a rise in the cases of beatings for the children because of psychological stress. “Life has become hard for some people in families and because of this, that’s why we end up getting such cases of beatings and so on,’’ she says.

A lecturer at Iringa University, Dr Jimson Sanha, says there is a weakness in Tanzania’s child protection mechanisms. “We tend to forget that the country needs a strong child protection system that would enable most children achieve their dreams,’’ he says.