At the Mittah Seperepere Convention Centre, Minister Lindiwe Zulu launched Child Protection Week 2024, reflecting on South Africa's 30 years of democracy and honouring the contributions of anti-apartheid activists Mittah Seperepere and Frances Baard. Despite its proud legacy, the District faces significant challenges, including rising mental health issues among children, high teenage pregnancy rates, and violence. In the 2023/2024 third quarter, the Northern Cape recorded 2 655 births among 15 -19-year-olds and 2 267 mental health visits, highlighting the critical need for child protection and support.

Minister Zulu emphasised the importance of a unified approach to child protection, recognising partnerships with organisations like UNICEF, the Department of Justice, and the South African Police Services. She urged parents to be vigilant and involved, advocating for preventive measures to address teenage pregnancy and other issues affecting children. “Today marks the launch of Child Protection Week 2024 at the Mittah Seperepere Convention Centre, a venue named after the esteemed anti-apartheid activist and welfare officer, Mittah Seperepere. It is fitting that this significant event is held here as South Africa celebrates 30 years of democracy.

This occasion not only honours Seperepere's relentless fight against apartheid but also reflects on the strides made in South Africa's democratic journey within the context of child protection.” During her remarks at the launch, the Minister of Social Development, Ms Lindiwe Zulu, highlighted the significance of this day, as it marks the 30th anniversary of democracy in South Africa. She also honoured the substantial contributions of Mittah Seperepere and Frances Baard to the democratic movement, emphasising their enduring legacy in the fight for freedom and equality. Despite the Frances Baard District being home to legendary figures like Mittah Seperepere and Frances Baard, the legacy of these icons is overshadowed by the plight of its children.

The District faces significant challenges, including rising mental health issues among children, high rates of teenage pregnancy, violence, and harmful cultural practices. These issues hinder the progress and well-being of the younger generation, casting a shadow over the proud legacy of the District's notable figures. “A sobering statistics from the 2023/2024 3rd quarter report by the Department of Health demand our attention. The report reveals that among 15-19 year-olds, there were 91 245 registered births nationwide, with 2 655 of these births occurring in the Northern Cape. Additionally, the Northern Cape recorded 2 267 mental health visits, underscoring the critical need for child protection and mental health support in our communities.” Minister Zulu expressed profound concern about the rising number of teenage pregnancies, urging young girls and boys to take better care of themselves. “We are deeply troubled by the alarming rates of teenage pregnancies across the country, particularly here in the Northern Cape, with John Taolo Gaetsewe and Frances Baard Districts being the most affected in the Province. We must act now to stop this trend. While we encourage young mothers and fathers to stay in school and complete their studies, our primary goal must be to prevent teenage pregnancy in the first place,” said Minister Zulu.

The Minister emphasised the critical role of child protection, highlighting the need for a collaborative effort valuable partnership between the Department and stakeholders such as UNICEF, the Department of Justice, the South African Police Services, and various civil society organisations. “We salute all our partner organisations that work tirelessly in communities across our country to strengthen the child protection system, ensuring our children are safe, happy, and healthy,” Minister Zulu said. Minister Zulu also underscored the essential role parents play in safeguarding their children's futures. She called on parents to be vigilant and actively involved in their children's lives, providing guidance and support to help them make informed decisions and avoid the pitfalls of early parenthood.

Pretoria 16 May 2024 This year, the country celebrates 30 Years of freedom and democracy and as the Department of Social Development launched Child Protection Week on the 19 May 2024, it is important to pause and reflect on South Africa’s strides and progress in protecting the rights of children. South Africa had to go through deliberate transformation and one of the key priorities for government was to ensure the protection and upholding of human rights including the rights of children. Previous laws were informed by colonial and apartheid systems, which brought the provision of services based on race and colour. These laws, amongst others, included, the Group Areas Act, Bantu Local Authorities Act and the 1923 Native Areas Act which segregated urban residential space and created “influx controls” to reduce access to cities by blacks. All these and other pieces of legislation had a negative impact on the lives of Blacks, Coloureds, and Indian communities who were discriminated because of their colour and were categorised as minority groups without access to basic services, including, clean water, quality education, and their right to dignity. The South African family was disintegrated; separated through migrant labour laws leaving children with one or no caregiver or parent. The democratic government in its efforts to advance the dignity and human rights of the people, it prioritised the development of the Constitution which was signed into law in 1996. Section 28 of the Bill of Rights in the Constitution guarantees children their rights; which include amongst others, the right to a name, citizenship, education care and support.

Children need food and shelter for their development and survival and should be protected from maltreatment, neglect, abuse or degradation as well as from exploitative labour practices. When Nelson Mandela became President, he committed to creating and leading a people-centred society, and spoke to the needs of caring for children and young South Africa had to go through deliberate transformation and one of the key priorities for government was to ensure the protection and upholding of human rights including the rights of children. Previous laws were informed by colonial and apartheid systems, which brought the provision of services based on race and colour. These laws, amongst others, included, the Group Areas Act, Bantu Local Authorities Act and the 1923 Native Areas Act which segregated urban residential space and created “influx controls” to reduce access to cities by blacks. All these and other pieces of legislation had a negative impact on the lives of Blacks, Coloureds, and Indian communities who were discriminated because of their colour and were categorised as minority groups without access to basic services, including, clean water, quality education, and their right to dignity. The South African family was disintegrated; separated through migrant labour laws leaving children with one or no caregiver or parent. The democratic government in its efforts to advance the dignity and human rights of the people, it prioritised the development of the Constitution which was signed into law in 1996. Section 28 of the Bill of Rights in the Constitution guarantees children their rights; which include amongst others, the right to a name, citizenship, education care and support.

Children need food and shelter for their development and survival and should be protected from maltreatment, neglect, abuse or degradation as well as from exploitative labour practices. When Nelson Mandela became President, he committed to creating and leading a people-centred society, and spoke to the needs of caring for children and young people. “The youth of our country are the valued possession of the nation. Without them there can be no future. Their needs are immense and urgent. They are at the centre of our reconstruction and development plan”. To demonstrate the commitment of the new government to the rights of children, in his first State of the Nation Address, he ordered the release of children who were incarcerated by the then oppressive government. Before 2005, children’s services were regulated by the Child Care Act which was later overhauled and replaced by the Children’s Act 38 of 2005.

The introduction of Children’s Act brought in a paradigm shift in the provision of child protection services and put the best interest of all children at the centre. The strengthened child protection measures saw the introduction of services that were geared towards care and protection of children, cushioning orphans, and vulnerable children as well as the protection of children in need of care and protection. In celebrating the country’s 30 years of freedom and democracy, the Minister of Social Development, Ms Lindiwe Zulu, launched the Child Protection Week campaign to reflect on the gains of the country and to promote the rights of children. Government has invested in children through various services like education, health, access to clean water, health, electricity and currently has the biggest social assistance programme aimed at protecting children. This year, the campaign was brought forward due to the national elections and will be commemorated under the theme: “Protecting South African Children, 30 years on”. South Africa through the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the African Charter on the rights and welfare of the child is obligated to look after every child within its borders.