Child Protection Week – week planner
The Western Cape Department of Social Development will be commemorating national Child Protection Week with a series of events under the theme, “Child Protection is Everyone’s Business”.
Recent cases in the Western Cape of child abuse and murder, have shone the spotlight on the plight of many children in the province. The Department continues to devote the largest share of its budget to rendering services to children and families – R651 million this year. Child protection cannot however be the role of the government alone.
Child Protection Week begins on the 28th May to the 4th June 2017, and our central message during this commemorative period is that we must adopt a whole-of-society approach.
The Department will be holding various events over this commemorative period. The media are invited to the following events;
Door-to-door awareness event in Mitchells Plain
The Western Cape Minister of Social Development, Albert Fritz will be joined by Premier Helen Zille, teams of social workers, child protection NGOs, and local religious leaders on a door-to-door walk-about in the community of Beacon Valley.
Date: 29 May 2017 (Monday)
Time: 12:00 pm, start gathering at the meeting point at 11:45am
Venue: Emmanuel Apostolic Church, 79 Hengelaar Street, Beacon Valley, Mitchells Plain
Child Protection Week Dialogue
The Western Cape Department of Social Development will host a panel of 8 experts from government, NGOs and academics to discuss issues of child protection. The Minister for Social Development, Albert Fritz, will make an announcement regarding the launch of an initiative in support of families. Western Cape Premier, Helen Zille, will deliver an address at the event.
Date: 31 May 2017 (Wednesday)
Time: 14:00 pm
Venue: Centre for the Book, 62 Victoria Street, Cape Town.
Child Protection Week Community Church Service
MEC Fritz will join child protection NGO partner Safeline and the Christ the Mediator Church for a mass service in memory of the children lost. The service will be attended by the families of children who were murdered, to honour the memory of their children.
Date: 01 June 2017 (Thursday)
Time: 10:00 am
Venue: Christ the Mediator Church, 16 Wall Street, Portlands, Mitchells Plain.
Child Protection Week Social Indaba
The Minister will join Hessequa Mayor, Cllr. Grant Riddles, at a Social Indaba aimed at discussing not only the social problems facing children and adults in Hessequa, but also the interventions the Department and Municipality can roll out in communities.
Date: 02 June 2017 (Friday)
Time: 09:00 am
Venue: Thusong Centre, Van der Berg Street, Riversdale.
Media enquiries:
Sihle Ngobese
Tel: 021 483 9217
Cell: 076 083 6543
Email : Sihle.Ngobese@westerncape.gov.za
