The Department of Social Development will launch Child Protection Week (CPW) in Delft, Western Cape Province on 1 June. CPW is hosted under a standing five year theme (2011 – 2015): “Working Together to Protect Children” which was adopted by the National Child Care and Protection Forum in 2010.
CPW is significantly launched in Delft because of a number of incidents of violence against children that have taken place in the area. The Department of Social Development has also conducted community dialogues with the residents of Delft which revealed that this area is affected by incidents of violence, crime, dysfunctional families and gender based violence.
The country has made strides since 1994 in rolling out legislative and programmatic interventions to advance child protection. The Bill of Rights states that every child has the right to be protected from maltreatment, neglect, abuse or degradation. To advance these rights, the Children’s Act (Act 38 of 2005) sets out the principles relating to the care and protection of children, and defines the related parental responsibilities and rights.
The Social Assistance Act, Child Justice Act and the Sexual Offences Act have given effect to government’s Constitutional responsibilities and reaffirms government‘s commitment to ensuring the safety, care and support for every child.
At a programmatic level, government has put in place the National Child Protection Register (CPR) to keep a record of cases of abuse and deliberate neglect, convictions and outcomes of the Children’s Court. The Register is a prescript of the Children’s Act and instructs the Minister of Social Development to develop a comprehensive inter-sectorial strategy aimed at securing a properly resourced, coordinated and managed national child protection system.
Between the 2004 and 2014, more than 32 000 cases of child abuse were recorded in the Register.
Another mechanism for child protection focusing on prevention and early intervention services is the Early Childhood Development (ECD) programme, currently accessed by more than a million children nationally.
In order to ensure the protection of children who have no one to look after them, the department has also begun a register of child-headed households. This will ensure child-headed households in the country have access to all the rights and privileges enjoyed by children whose parents are still alive to care for them, including food, access to education and healthcare, and all other basic needs.
The department has also implemented the Isibindi Programme, aimed at providing care and support to orphaned and vulnerable children through trained Child and Youth Care Workers. The Isibindi Programme has to date reached more than 87 000 children.
Children are also the major beneficiaries of government’s social grants. Currently, government pays social grants to more than 16 million South Africans. More than 11 million of these beneficiaries are children, through the Child Support Grant and Foster Care Grant.
The Department of Social Development has also done considerable work in providing relief to South African children in distress abroad. Most of these are children born to mothers imprisoned in foreign jails. Since 2008, the Department has repatriated to South Africa thirteen children born to South African mothers in foreign jails.
Children abducted from South Africa, South African children living and working on the streets in foreign countries, children deported from foreign countries and suspected victims of trafficking also receive assistance from South African government. The repatriation of these children is part of the successes and achievements our democratic government has made over the past twenty years and bears testimony to government’s seriousness about the care of all South Africa children.
The Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) on Violence Against Women and Children, appointed by Cabinet in May 2012, has adopted a five-year Programme of Action which addresses; violence in general, violence against women and children working with all stakeholders including civil society and communities.
A major milestone in the implementation of the Action Plan was the establishment earlier this year of a pilot 24-hour call centre – Gender-Based Violence Command Centre – dedicated to providing support and counselling to victims of gender based violence, including children - 0800 428 428 (0800 GBV GBV).
In commemoration of CPW, government departments will be involved in various activities. These will be available on Government Communication and Information Services (GCIS) website and Government Online.
Members of the media are invited to attend and cover the launch of CPW, which will take place as follows:
Date: 1 June 2014
Venue: Delft Technical High School, Western Cape
Time: 09h00
Please direct media RSVPs to Mr Jaconia Kobue on 073 026 1111 or JaconiaK@dsd.gov.za
Media inquiries may be directed to Ms Lumka Oliphant on 083 484 8067 or LumkaO@dsd.gov.za
