Another baby (nine months) born in a Brazilian prison was repatriated back to South Africa this morning by the Department of Social Development. His South African mother is serving a prison sentence in that country for drug trafficking.
South Africa is obligated by the Children's Act to repatriate all South African children in distress in foreign countries. Unlike South Africa, where female offenders can stay with their babies in prison until their fifth birthday, children born to jailed mothers in Brazil can stay with them only up to the age of six months.
This is the third South African baby in ten months to be repatriated from Brazil. The Department of Social Development is in the process of repatriating two more babies from Brazil. Since 2008, a total of thirteen South African children in distress abroad have been repatriated back to South Africa by the Department of Social Development.
The child repatriated today will be placed in the care of relatives. The Department is guided by the mother of the child as to the placement of the child when back in South Africa. While other children are placed in the care of relatives, others are placed in foster care.
As the soccer World Cup gets closer, Minister Dlamini urges young women to be vigilant as there is an expectation of an increase of young women being lured into trafficking drugs by drug syndicates.
Since 1994, the country has seen the Department of Social Development facilitating the steady flow of repatriations of children in distress from countries abroad.
Although most of these children were babies born to South African mothers in foreign who needed alternative care, many other children in distress were also assisted such as children who were abducted from South Africa, South African children living and working on the streets in foreign countries, children who were deported from foreign countries and suspected victims of trafficking.
The return of these children forms part of the 20 years of successes our democratic government has achieved and bears testimony to a government that values its citizen and has empathy with the often difficult situation South African children find themselves in.
Media inquiries:
Lumka Oliphant
Cell: 083 484 8067
Email: lumkao@dsd.gov.za
