The Gauteng Provincial Government (GP) has called for enabling legislation for the province’s Social Development Department (GDSDO) to have legal parameters in cultural and traditional settings.
“The death of initiates in the traditional initiation schools, the secrecy of those who die in the schools are some of the reasons that made us revisit the regulations of this cultural practice in terms of Section 12 of the Children’s Act 38 of 2005.
It is also in the spirit of finding solutions to the challenges facing us and the desire to restore dignity, safety, and values of cultural initiation practice,” Social Development MEC Nandi Mayathula-Khoza told the child and youth care Non-Profit Organisations (NPO) in Turffontein during her stakeholder engagement.
In February, Commission chairperson Thoko-Mkhwanazi-Xaluva asked the MEC to review the regulation because of Section 12 (of the Children’s Act) anticipates the social development to be responsible for children and their entire wellbeing.
Mayathula-Khoza said her department will integrate awareness on initiation into its child protection awareness programs.
“In order to deal with all the challenges associated with initiation, there is a need for us to develop innovative and integrative approaches as part of our intervention strategy.
“Our key focus is to provide advocacy programs aimed at preventing Child Abuse; Neglect and Exploitation (CANE), provision of psycho- social support to reported cases of CANE and to raise awareness of children’ rights and responsibilities; as well as social ills inclusive of drug and alcohol abuse,” she said.
The MEC said her department was working towards building resilient communities that are able to effectively respond to challenges facing traditional initiation.
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