The fifth Annual Nelson Mandela Children’s Parliament – hosted by the Department of Social Development in partnership with the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund and the Free State Provincial Legislature – is set to tackle a number of serious issues to do with the protection of children in the country.
Among the topics to be discussed by child parliamentarians in the three-day gathering is forced child marriages – also known as ukuthwala. The challenge of ukuthwala was also highlighted during the 2015 Day of the African Child hosted by the Department of Social Development and the African Union’s Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child on June 15, 2015.
Other topics the child parliamentarians will discuss are the death of young boys in initiation schools, child killings, the death of young girls due to illegal termination of pregnancies, and violence in schools. These issues will be discussed over two days in commissions, starting October 5, which will be followed by a sitting of the Children’s Parliament on October 7.
The Children’s Parliament therefore creates a platform for children’s participation in democracy and provides them an opportunity to make input to policies as well as programmes and strategies intended to realise their rights and eradicate the challenges they are faced with.
The platform also promotes the notion that children should not only be seen but also heard. It is a national response to the call by children for accountability by all stakeholders including government departments, civil society organisations, caregivers, teachers, private sector and all other people who have responsibilities for the protection and wellbeing of children.
South Africa is a signatory to international instruments such as the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, that offer statutory protection towards providing a better life for children. Over and above this, Governments have legislation and policies aimed at protecting children from exploitation.
In South Africa, protecting children from violence, exploitation and abuse is not only a basic value, but also an obligation clearly set out in Article 28 of the South African Constitution as well as the Children’s Act, which the Department of Social Development is the custodian of.
During the 2014 Children’s Parliament, the child parliamentarians discussed a number of issues, including the state of education and learning, support for children with disabilities, the effects of alcohol and substance abuse in communities and homes, as well as a proposal to establish a children’s ombudsman to safeguard the rights of children.
The anticipated outcome of the Children’s Parliament is a commitment from the role players on how matters raised by children will be incorporated into ongoing planning for the advancement and protection of children’s rights and how these will be translated to practicable programmes.
The Children’s Parliament is a key programme of Social Development Month (October), which aims to increase access to and utilisation of social services through direct intervention by building effective service delivery partnerships between government, communities and other role players.
Social Development Month takes place under the auspices of the department’s flagship outreach programme, Project Mikondzo – a service delivery improvement programme aimed at responding quicker, more effectively and innovatively to social challenges in the country.
Members of the media are invited to attend and cover the Children’s Parliament, which will take place as follows:
Commissions
Date: 5 - 6 October 2015
Time: 8h00
Place: Mangaung Metropolitan Municipal Offices, Bram Fischer Building, Nelson Mandela Drive & Markgraff Street, Bloemfontein
Child Parliamentarians Gala Dinner
Date: 6 October 2015
Time: 18h00
Place: Naval Hill President Hotel, 1 Union Avenue, Bloemfontein
Parliamentary Session
Date: 7 October 2015
Time: 9h00
Place: Free State Provincial Legislature, 41 Charlotte Maxeke Street, Bloemfontein
Media can RSVP with
Jaconia Kobue
Cell: 073 026 1111
E-mail: jaconiak@dsd.gov.za
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The official hashtag for Children Parliament is #childrensparly
Media enquiries:
Lumka Oliphant
Cell: 083 484 8067
E-mail: lumkao@dsd.gov.za
