Why Lake Zone leads on list of ‘children theft’
What you need to know:
- Mara and Kagera regions led the list, each with eight cases of theft of children in 2023. Mwanza and Geita followed in the third and fourth positions, with seven and five cases respectively.
Dar es Salaam. The Lake Zone is prone to cases of ‘theft of children’, a new report has revealed.
Published by Tanzania Police Force through the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the Crime Statistics and Road Safety Report for the year 2023, shows that the country’s 40 police administrative regions registered a total of 73 cases of ‘theft of children’ last year.
Yet, out of the number, seven police administrative regions of the Lake Zone alone accounted for 35 cases, which is equivalent to almost 48 percent of the total number.
Mara and Kagera regions led the list, each with eight cases of theft of children in 2023. Mwanza and Geita followed in the third and fourth positions, with seven and five cases respectively.
Simiyu reported three cases of theft of children last year with Shinyanga and Tarime-Rorya had two cases each.
Analysts attribute the situation to a number of factors, including superstitious beliefs.
“It is alleged that these children are being sacrificed, particularly in areas near mines.
The superstitious beliefs are evidenced by the reports of children who were found dead with body parts, especially private parts, missing.
This strongly suggests that such acts are ritualistic in nature,” said the executive director of the Legal and Human Rights Centre (LHRC), Dr Anna Henga.
Some unscrupulous individuals, she said, harbour beliefs that they could get money or leadership position by sacrificing a human being.
As such, she suggested that to address the challenge, it was crucial to strengthen community awareness and law enforcement in the regions.
“I urge the government to develop an emergency strategy to tackle this issue effectively and promptly,” she said.
On the other hand, Tanzania Gender Networking Programme (TGNP), executive director, Ms Lilian Liundi, expressed that by now, there should be no more excuses regarding what fuels these behaviours in the Lake Zone. Instead, there should be an official police report on the root cause of these incidents.
“It is the responsibility of the police force to conduct research and provide a report on the issue. Only then will it be easier for other stakeholders to find the best ways to prevent these acts,” she said.
However, she also emphasised that it is the duty of every citizen to closely monitor children, as they are among the most vulnerable groups and rely on parents, guardians and the community for protection.
“Each person, in their own way, should be moved by the danger posed to children through abductions and should increase efforts to protect them, as they have been particularly targeted by such acts,” she said.
Human rights activists are also recommending the signing of international treaties related to issues of disappearances and brutality, increased accountability, and the provision of education to end the problem of theft of children in the Lake Zone.
The Tanzania Human Rights Defenders Coalition (THRDC) national coordinator, Mr Onesmo Olengurumwa said there is a need for the nation to sign international treaties that govern issues of disappearances and brutality.
“These treaties have established proper mechanisms for tracking these issues and will also increase accountability, as one of the reasons for the persistence of such acts in the country is the lack of accountability among the police and leaders in following up on these matters,” he said.
Additionally, he stated that the presence of stringent laws specifically targeting these issues would greatly help shorten the process of holding perpetrators accountable, as these treaties mandate the establishment of special committees dedicated to tracking issues of brutality and disappearances.
"Boosting community education is crucial for empowering citizens to protect themselves and children. Increased vigilance can aid in addressing ongoing issues while authorities work on eradicating these acts," he said.
Furthermore, he said that in the Lake Zone, these acts and other forms of brutality have been prevalent for a long time, and it is the right time to take firm measures to reduce and ultimately eliminate them.
“It’s become too normal to hear about brutality in the lake zone. We must not be complacent; instead, we should work to eradicate these acts and ensure safety for everyone, especially children,” he said.
