Hekpoort residents educated on child abuse
The communities of Hekpoort and Smoke Down were made aware of child abuse during a government road show in the area.
The Gauteng Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) regional office recently visited the communities of Hekpoort and Smoke Down in Mogale City.
The aim was to provide them with information that would help curb child abuse in the areas, writes Lebohang Mhlongo from The South African Government News Agency.
The visit was part of a series of road shows by the Gauteng GCIS aimed at raising awareness about child abuse and children’s rights against the backdrop of Child Protection Week.
Child Protection Week drew to a close on Sunday 8 June.
“According to organiser of the road shows, Matshidiso Mokoka the Gauteng GCIS embarked on the road shows to engage and educate the communities in a language that they understood and provide them with relevant information that would help them stamp out the abuse of children.
Mokoka expects the campaign to extend beyond one week and become a 365-day awareness drive among South Africans.
On 9 June the road show visited the Hekpoort and Smoke Down areas where, according to police, many children experience abuse in the form of neglect.
Constable Mvhali of the SAPS in Hekpoort says they were handling cases where young children were being denied the right to education by their parents or caregivers, as well as parents neglecting to follow up on whether their children were attending school.
The police is working hand-in-hand with victim empowerment NGOs to help curb the problem and other forms of child abuse in the area.
Many of the children and parents who had gathered at the event said they were surprised to learn that denying a child education was a violation of their rights and a form of child abuse.
The communities also have a large percentage of households that are child-headed and parents who abuse alcohol.
Lungi Chinana, a community liaison officer (CLO) in Smoke Down advised parents in the area that children who did not go to school were more prone to being used by other adults, for instance to push drugs.
In an effort to improve literacy levels in Smoke Down, social auxiliary worker Tshulufelo Mapomane says they introduced Adult-Based Education and Training programmes were members of the community are taught how to read and write.
She says the biggest problem is getting the community, especially adults, interested in such projects because they do not realise the benefits for them and their children.
During Child Protection Week, government strongly condemned the abuse of children, stating that it would not tolerate child abuse.
Acting GCIS CEO Phumla Williams advised communities to be vigilant to child abuse.
“Government calls on all communities to be vigilant to their surroundings and report any strange behaviour by people in their neighbourhood. Let us play our part as residents by reporting any suspected child or women abuse around your respective communities,” she urges.
The Gauteng GCIS team will end off the campaign in Diepsloot and Olivenhoutbosch on 17 June.
Victims and witnesses of child abuse can go to their local NGO or police stations for help or contact Childline on 0800 05 55 55 or Social Development on 0800 60 1011.
