Date: 16/04/2009

Source: The Presidency

Title: SA: Tshabalala-Msimang: Speech by the Minister in The Presidency at the launch of the "Situational Analysis of Children in South Africa"

Programme Director ,
Dr Aida Girma-UNICEF Country Representative,
Head of Policy in the Presidency,
Task Team Members and Facilitators,
Members of the Press, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Good Morning.

"A country that does not care for its children has no future", said OR Tambo.

Children are the future of any country. They certainly are the most precious gift and future of South Africa , hence we jealously guard and guide them!

The Constitution of South Africa, the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (AC), the latter two ratified by South Africa in 1995 and 2000 respectively, are used as framing devices to assess rights' implementation of the South African children.

It has been 15 years since this country attained Democracy. We have had to re-assess the situation under which our children live and develop. Whilst aware that some issues like poverty, which are a legacy of our past, cannot be wished off with a magic wand, we are committed to continuing to improve the situation of the children in South Africa.

With this goal in mind, Government commissioned a study , which was led by UNICEF , to analyze the situation of children of in South Africa between 2007 and 2008 . The findings of this study will help the country to identify some of the areas which need strengthening so as to ensure that children in this country are secure , protected and enabled to develop in healthy environments . Many of the issues need multisectoral / multidisciplinary effort to address them in a meaningful and sustainable way for the good of the children. Not withstanding the challenges of decent housing , road and communication infrastructure , quality education and health care especially in rural areas, we believe government has achieved major milestones in a short decade and a half .This however does not make this country complacent on issues relating to children's rights to survival , development and protection .

The fact that issues of coordinating children's issues are located in the highest Government office of the Land should be testimony of the importance this country attaches to issues which affect children. What is needed is for all stake holders, including families and communities to continue improving the environment so that children can attain the highest benefit from the constitutional, legislative and policy provisions which this country has espoused . Allow me to mention that as we promote children's rights we need to balance them with responsibilities and also within our good cultural values which continue to identify who we are as a nation. Children themselves should be proud to exercise certain responsibilities which are part of balanced development.

This report identifies some challenges which include , among others , child poverty which often relates to family income and access poverty ; the issues of child survival and health which relate to the still high though reducing infant mortality due to non communicable and communicable diseases including HIV and AIDS and malnutrition ; the challenge of qualified teachers for Early Childhood Development , education in science and technical subjects to open more opportunities for skills development and employment for our children . The care and protection of our children is an issue that needs urgent attention. Although there have been very progressive legislations to protect children, some of the practice of ignoring and hiding the violation of children's rights, inconsistent law enforcement and, possibly ignorance , continue to expose the children to harmful practices.

You may be aware of the recent revelation in the press of a harmful practice of "Ukuthwala" -the abduction and forced early marriages of young girls in some parts of the Eastern Cape and , possibly , some other areas of the country. As Government we have had to intervene swiftly through ongoing consultation with traditional leadership.

His Majesty King Sigcau of Pondoland has categorically condemned this practice and pronounced on the 6th of April 2009 that it must stop. A pledge of commitment to facilitate stopping of this practice has been signed by Minister in the Presidency, Minister of Public Works and the Mayor of OR Tambo District - on behalf Government.

All spheres and sectors of government, traditional leadership and communities have committed to work together to eliminate this harmful practice so that girls in these areas can feel free and safe to pursue their education. This will enable them to achieve their life ambitions and further empower them to contribute meaningfully to the development of this country.

The report referrers to some issues which are cross cutting like the pervading poverty in some remote areas which should continue to receive special attention. The issue of children with disabilities and their access to opportunities continues to pose challenges which are critical to society. The report further recommends that more resources need to be allocated to programmes that deal with health service provision for children, early childhood development, compulsory education and to support children in difficult circumstances and in need of care.

The issue of interdepartmental coordination needs to be strengthened so as to promote the mutual enforcement of the Rights of all the South African Children. Research and quality data collection and analysis need to be an ongoing practice in order to enable the country to track the progress of implementation of all the strategies which are aimed at improving the welfare of children. This is critical in informing future policy and programme reviews.

Notwithstanding these challenges, I am pleased to note that the report highlighted many areas where there has been progress. In addition to the Constitution, the legislative reforms, eg the Children's Act 38 of 2005, have provided a backbone along which we continually lean to guide the promotion and protection of the rights of children. In the education sector, the non-fee school policy meant to ensure that no child misses schooling because the family is poor is benefiting some children .This needs to be widely enforced for the benefit of all children who deserve it .Government assists with some budget for scholar transport so as to alleviate the burden on parents . The child support grant, free health care for pregnant mothers and children under 6 years of age and the school Nutrition programmes are all services that have helped alleviate the impact of poverty to the beneficiaries.

Without attempting to enumerate all the achievements and challenges, I invite you to read this report which will help guide this country, along with the promulgated laws and policies, to further improve the plight of the children of South Africa.

In conclusion,
I thank UNICEF for the immense contribution made to the success of this study, all the task team members and contributors in the different sectors and institutions which contributed to this research. Without the children themselves, this report would not have been as interesting as it is .In it your voices are being heard and I thank you and the parents who allowed you to participate, most sincerely.

It now gives me pleasure to officially launch this Situational Analysis of the Children in South Africa ( 2007-2008) [PDF]. It will not decorate our bookshelves but will be used as a mirror to guide the progress being made by the country and allow us all to continue addressing the areas of challenge.

Let us all show that we are a nation that values and cares for our children!

I thank you.