Cape Town - Community activists and civil society organisations are calling for a holistic approach to ensure the safety of children, particularly those living in impoverished communities.
Their calls coincide with the start of this year’s National Child Protection Week, observed annually from May 29 until Sunday, June 5, facilitated by the Department of Social Development, in partnership with other government departments and child safety-focused CSOs.
Speaking on the impact ongoing gang violence has on children living on the Cape Flats, social activist Roegshanda Pascoe said government bodies need to initiate a multi-pronged plan, supported by various role-players, all working towards the same goal.
“This means that the people and all government departments work together towards one goal, with politics and other matters set aside. All efforts need to be made together to introduce interventions that will restore and redevelop our local communities.
“I feel that we need to address the root cause of the chaos in our communities. These flats must be rebuilt and redesigned into new communities, that will facilitate the development of our people – at the moment, when you look at them, they carry the trauma from the apartheid era, despite us living in a new dispensation,” Pascoe said.
Anti-gender-based violence (GBV) organisation Ilitha Labantu said it was deeply concerned by the lack of comprehensive measures to ensure that the rights and dignity of children were protected.
Spokesperson Siyabulela Monakali said there was a lack of a concerted effort, from all sectors, to address the issue of violence and abuse that is perpetrated on children from household, school and community levels.
“Child Protection Week will lose its effectiveness in addressing the scourge of child abuse if role-players only prioritise the rights of children during this period. South Africa is good at collecting the necessary data, however, often the country fails to translate this data into effective tools to combat violence perpetrated against children.
“Violence and abuse in South Africa is a complex problem and requires a multifaceted approach. We urgently appeal to the government, and other role-players, to implement 365 days a year strategy, that will ensure continuous engagement, awareness and education around the protection of children's rights,” Monkali said.