President Jacob Zuma will on Friday, 21 May 2010, launch Child Protection Week which will focus attention on children and the 2010 FIFA World Soccer World Cup. The launch will take place in Atteridgeville in Pretoria.
Government introduced Child Protection Week (CPW) in 1997, in order to raise awareness, as well as to mobilise all sectors and communities towards the perspective of holistic development and the care and protection of children. The CPW has become an annual campaign to educate and mobilise communities to put children first.
This year the campaign will be a build up towards the protection of children during the 2010 FIFA World Cup and beyond. It will remind parents and caregivers of their responsibility to protect children during the World Cup given challenges such as child trafficking which unfortunately sometimes become associated with huge events such as the World Cup.
The event will also mark the launch of the Children’s Act which came into effect on 1 of April 2010. The landmark Children’s Act sets out to bring to life and operationalise our collective obligations to:
* Promote the preservation and strengthening of families.
* Give effect to certain constitutional rights of children.
* Give effect to the Republic’s obligations concerning the well-being of children in terms of international instruments binding on the Republic.
* Make provision for structures, services and means for promoting and monitoring the sound physical, psychological, intellectual, emotional and social development of children.
* Strengthen and develop community structures which can assist in providing care and protection for children.
* Protect children from discrimination, exploitation and any other physical, emotional or moral harm or hazards.
* Provide care and protection for children who are in need of care and protection.
* Recognise the special needs that children with disabilities may have.
* Generally promote the protection, development and well-being of children.
Child Protection week runs from 24 to 30 May 2010.
The details of the event are as following:
Date: Friday 21 May 2010
Time: 09h45
Venue: Atteridgeville Community Hall Corner of Hlahla and Ramokgopha, Pretoria
Media representatives wishing to attend should please send their name, name of media institution and ID or passport number to:
Nomfundo Mcetywa
E-mail: nomfundo@po.gov.za
Cell: 072 588 4548
Enquiries:
Vincent Magwenya
Cell: 072 715 0024
Issued by: The Presidency
18 May 2010
Source: The Presidency (http://www.thepresidency.gov.za)
