Children marching for their rights and hands over memorandum to the mayor
Forum hands over memorandum as a way of raising their voice for children
The Klarinet Pine Ridge and Siyanqoba Early Childhood Development Forum organised a march to raise awareness about children’s rights.
The march was organised by the organisation, and it was held on Thursday, June 2 during the National Child Protection Week, and later they handed a memorandum to the Executive Mayor of Emalahleni, Councillor Conny Nkalitshana.
National Child Protection Week is commemorated in the country annually to raise awareness of the rights of children as articulated in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa and Children’s Act (Act No 38 of 2005).
The campaign is led by the Department of Social Development in partnership with key government departments and civil society organisations rendering child protection services.
Government calls on all South Africans to support Child Protection Week by ensuring that the most vulnerable in our society do not suffer abuse.
It is in our hands to stop the cycle of neglect, abuse, violence and exploitation of children.
Children in South Africa live in a society with a constitution that has the highest regard for their rights and the equality and dignity of everyone.
Protecting children from violence, exploitation and abuse is not only a basic value but also an obligation set out in Article 28 of the South African Constitution.
The memorandum was received on behalf of the Executive Mayor by MMC for Environment Cllr Betty Maphosa.
The memorandum reads thus: “We as the forum (educators, parents and parishioners) have realised that the rights of children to good educators have been violated by parents, neighbours, the community and social workers. We, therefore, demand that the executive mayor in her capacity take action against this. The children who are supposed to be in centres to learn are at home, some are roaming the streets playing without any supervision. Some parents are ignorant, they have taken their children to places (crèches) that are not taking good care of the children; they are exposed to danger because of the condition of the centres. We have crèches that are not registered anywhere. The owners don’t participate in anything that we organise as a forum. The treatment the children are getting is not acceptable. Some children have been violated sexually, and the perpetrators are not apprehended. The people who have opened such facilities don’t care about the education of the children, theirs is just to eat and sleep. Most have no stipulated education required by the government. Some of the centres are operating from RDP houses, and they are very much overcrowded. In the above areas, we have a problem with a lack of water. We would appreciate it if we can be sponsored with JoJo tanks. Our centres in the above areas cannot be funded by the Department of Social Services or the Department of Education because the majority operate in RDP houses. We need free-standing stands, please”.
The Department of Social Development has a pilot 24-hour call centre dedicated to providing support and counselling to victims of Gender-Based Violence.
Child Protection Week is commemorated from May 29 to June 5 and the theme for the year is: “Let us all protect children during Covid-19 and beyond”.
Read More:
https://www.citizen.co.za/witbank-news/175725/putting-children-first-child-protection-week/
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