South Africa has declared the first Saturday of November every year as National Children’s Day. This year National Children’s Day will take place on the 2 November 2013 under the theme “Sireletsa bana - creating a caring nation”. South Africa has ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and many of these rights are also enshrined in our Constitution. The Children’s Act of 2005 amplifies the rights a child has in terms of the Constitution.
The aim of the celebration is to highlight progress made towards the realisation and promotion of children’s rights. It will also popularise and promote the Constitutional mandate to ensure that South African society upholds the rights of children. This year’s celebration takes place against a worrying trend of an increase in violence against children, child abuse, murders and rapes.
In marking National Children’s Day, All South Africans are urged to protect children as they are our future leaders. We also call on communities to continue to work with law enforcement agencies in fighting crime within communities. The Department of Women Children and People with Disabilities will host the National Children’s Day event in KwaZulu-Natal.
The Minister for the Department of Women, Children and People with Disabilities, Lulu Xingwana will visit a child-led project and host an interactive dialogue on Violence against children with the children to hear the children themselves articulate their views, expectations and how they see their future in South Africa.
The National Children’s Day celebration is scheduled to take place as follows:
Date: Saturday, 2 November 2013
Time: 11h00
Venue: Ugu Sports and Leisure Centre, Ugu Municipality, KwaZulu- Natal
Media is invited.
Media enquiries:
Phuti Mabelebele
Cell: 076 402 7521
E-mail: Phuti@dwcpd.gov.za
