Issued by: Ministry for Welfare and Population Development
MESSAGE FROM THE MINISTER FOR WELFARE AND POPULATION DEVELOPMENT WHICH WILL BE READ AT THE GLOBAL MARCH AGAINST CHILD LABOUR ON 21 MARCH 1998.
Honourable guests, ladies, gentlemen and children.
Although I am unable to attend this important event, be assured that I shall be part of your endeavours in this great moment of action against the exploitation of child labour. As you are aware, the Global March Against Child Labour commenced in Manila, the Phillippine capital, on 17 January 1998, and it is being undertaken across five continents.
This initiative was born out of the suffering which has become a harsh reality to the very ones whom we are supposed to protect, namely our children. This action today is a tribute to those who suffer under the most inhuman conditions and also to deliver a clear message that we in South Africa will not tolerate the misuse of our vulnerable children.
There is unfortunately no easy solution to the problem of child labour. Child labour is a complex problem which is interwined with social problems such as poverty and family disintegration on the one hand, and with other child related problems such as street children, runaway children and children who are abused, including sexually. The Network Against Child Labour estimated during 1997, that more than 200 000 children between the ages of 10 and 14 years and a further 200 000 between the ages of 15 and 18 years are engaged in paid labour in South Africa.
As the world's most populous region, Asia accounts for more than 50 per cent of the approximately 200 million working children in the world.
This march aims to convey a message of "enough is enough". Let us in South Africa be conscious of the fact that all sectors of society are co-responsible for the protection of these children who for many years, did not have a platform to raise their voices.
Let us take up this challenge as fellow citizens and show the rest of the world that South Africa Cares and let the spirit of Ubuntu be strengthened in our society. South Africa has ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, therefore we have an obligation to ensure that our children are protected from economic exploitation and from performing any work that will be detrimental to their physical mental, moral or social development.
In my functioning as the Minister for Welfare and Population Development, I am already experiencing the change in attitude amongst those, on the one hand, who reach out to those in need and on the other hand, those in need who are willing and enthusiastic about doing something positive with their lives, eg the Flagship Programme, "Unemployed Women with Children under 5 Years". Another major transformation initiative which is spearheaded by my Department, is the Transformation of the Child and Youth Care system. Those young people who are abused, homeless, disabled, abandoned or orphaned, as well as those in trouble with the law, will be protected and receive the necessary programmes and containment that will ensure their safety and growth while, at the same time, our families and communities will be protected.
We know that the family is the cornerstone of society and that the family is the primary responsible unit for the support of a child's healthy growth, development and moral guidance. The strategy to address issues like child labour is thus to address the causes and requires a concerted effort involving all in society, that is government, Civil Society and Business. The effect of the willingness of people to join hands is already visible in the world, in the fact that in six months' time 700 organisations spanning 82 countries and representing over 200 million people, have committed themselves. In South Africa, 50 organisations and individuals from a diverse range of sectors have joined the National Network Against Child Labour.
Let us then reflect the principle of protecting our children in our planning, policy development, programmes and our legislation process, so as to enable our children to experience a child friendly society. Let us mobilise the entire society to protect our children by implementing the rights of the child and monitoring violations against these rights.
I trust that this march will be the first step towards change and I will also join you on 28 March 1998 when you are in Johannesburg.