The DA celebrates Child Protection Week with the Children of Duduza
Joint Statement by Cllr. Patricia Mathebula — DA PR Councillor in Ekurhuleni and Cllr. Stefanie Ueckermann — DA Spokesperson for Health and Social Development
Date: 7 June 2023
Release: Immediate
Type: Media statement
On the 2nd of June 2023, ECD centres from all over Duduza came out in their numbers to raise awareness around the protection of children’s rights. This initiative was organized by various ECD centres across the community to commemorate child protection week, which was held from the 29th of May 2023 to 5th of June 2023.
ECD teachers stood alongside their learners to create awareness and share knowledge about children’s rights and equally so our responsibility as the community to ensure that these rights are upheld and protected. Children as little as 2 years old were seen at all corners of the community, from the Sonto Thobela Clinic open space where New Dawn and Lovebetty ECD centres were stationed, to central Duduza, ending in Mandela Drive in Zamane where Mbusomusha Pre-School and OCD Nursery School were stationed.
They were loudly shouting and chanting their basic rights for all to hear.
Those basic rights include, amongst others, the right of every child to:
- Body autonomy;
- Dignity;
- A name and a nationality from birth;
- Family care or parental care, and/ or appropriate alternative care when removed from the family environment.
- Basic nutrition, shelter, basic health care services and social services.
- Be protected from maltreatment, neglect, abuse or degradation.
- Be protected from exploitative labour practices.
- Be treated in a manner, and kept in conditions, that take account of the child’s age and have a legal practitioner assigned to the child by the state, and at state expense, in civil proceedings affecting the child, if substantial injustice would otherwise result.
- Not be used directly in armed conflict, and to be protected in times of armed conflict.
Some of the rights also recited were from Chapter 2 of the Constitution, which included:
- The right to family care, love and protection and the responsibility to show love, respect and caring to others, especially the elderly.
- The right to a clean environment and the responsibility to take care of their environment by cleaning the space they live in.
- A right to food and the responsibility not to be wasteful.
- A right to good quality education and the responsibility to learn and respect their teachers and peers.
- A right to quality medical care and the responsibility to take care of themselves and protect themselves from irresponsible exposure to diseases such as HIV/Aids.
- A right to protection from exploitation and neglect and the responsibility to report abuse and exploitation.
We can proudly state that the children of Duduza are fully aware of their rights and that the public heard their call for protection and accountability.
A special thanks go out to the Duduza SAPS and their officers who came out in their numbers across all wards in the township (Wards 86, 87 and 98) to address the children about their rights and provide reassurance around their protection.
Cllr. Patricia Mathebula
DA PR Councillor in Ekurhuleni
081 521 9164
Cllr. Stefanie Ueckermann
DA Spokesperson for Health and Social Development
076 541 9717
