Programme director
Minister of Labour
Member of Parliament, Nomalungelo Gina
Representative of the Jacob Zuma Foundation
Community of Mzingazi
Ngijabula kakhulu ukuba nani namhlanje ukuzokweseka umndeni wakwaMdluli osusele nabantwana kuphela.
Uhulumeni uze lapha ngoba sathinteka kakhulu uma ngizwa ngesimo lezi zingane ebeziphila phansi kwaso. Uhulumeni oholwa wubaba uMsholozi uzimisele ukusiza ukulwa nobuphofu nokuthi zonke izingane zibe nethuba lokukhula esimweni esiphephile.
There are minimum rights that every child should enjoy in South Africa. I can package the most critical ones into three categories and those are:
- The Right to adequate standard of living
- The Right to life and basic health
- And the Right to education
On the right to adequate standard of living, our main focus as government is to fight poverty affecting children in many parts of our country. We have made much progress in this area between 1997 and 2010. The number of beneficiaries of income support programmes increased from 2.6 million to 14 million during this period. Amongst these beneficiaries is the child from this family whose child support grant has been the sole source of income for this household for the past two years.
We have to encourage communities to assist in providing care for children who have lost their parents. Government provides foster care grant. This is a grant that enables families hosting vulnerable children to provide a homely environment and cover the cost of raising an orphaned child.
We know that there are still eligible children who are not accessing grants as we have seen in this family. Government is intensifying its campaign to raise awareness about these grants. The Department of Home Affairs is strengthening efforts to ensure that all children are registered at birth so that birth certificates should not be a problem. SA Social Security Agency has also expanded access for applicants across the country to submitt.
The second part is the Right of children to life and basic health. Children under five years have free access to health. It is our obligation as caregivers and communities to ensure that children are taken to the clinic for immunisation and other services required to strengthen their health.
We know that child mortality remains high primarily due to the impact of HIV and AIDS. Government is responding to by providing antiretroviral drugs to prevent mother to child transmission of HIV. There is now no need for our children to be born with HIV anymore. It can be prevented.
In a rape situation, the chance of contracting HIV infection increases. That is why Government is providing comprehensive treatment for rape survivors which includes prevention of HIV and unwanted pregnancy.
The Ministry for Women, Children and People with Disabilities is encouraging our communities to speak out against rape and other forms of abuse against children. Loku yinto ekumele siyenze njengabantu abanesihe nozwelo. In addition though, the Children’s Act states that you can also be charged if you fail to report a case of child abuse that you are aware of.
This is a major obligation on us as a community. We have to help in protecting children particularly those with no adult in their household. We have to report cases of abuse to the police, social workers and other appropriate authorities.
The last section is the right to education. Education starts at early childhood development. Government target is to ensure that through the combination of public, private and subsidised Grade R facilities, all five to six year old children have access to Grade R programmes by 2014. Government is also providing a subsidy of between R9-R12 per day per child enrolled in ECD centres.
The majority of schools for primary and secondary education have been declared non-fee schools to ensure that children from poor families can access education. The Department of Social Development is also assisting vulnerable children with basic school uniform.
When you put together all these services that I have spoken about this morning, it is clear that there are adequate services already available in various government departments to meet the basic needs of a family like this one yakwaMdluli.
Amakhansela, amalunga ephalamende abekwe ezindaweni zethu nabanye abasebenzi bakahulumeni kumele basize imiphakathi yethu ukuthi yazi ngezinhlelo ezikhona nanokuthi abantu bangasizakala kanjani.
Ngithanda ukubonga ilunga lePhalamende uGina ngokuphakamela lolu daba lwakulo muzi. Ngiyethemba ukuthi uzoqhubeka nokusiza ukuthi lezi zingane zikwazi ukusizakala kuzo zonke izinhlelo ezikhona zikahulumeni
Ngithada futhi ukubonga neJacob Zuma Foundation ngokufaka usizo ukuthi laba bantwana bagcine benekhaya eliphephile namhlanje.
Ngibonga nomphakathi ngokuba ingxenye yalolu hlelo. Ngithemba ukuthi nizo qhubeka njalo ukuseka lo mndeni.
Ngiyabonga.
Source: Department of Women, Children and Persons with Disabilities
