Cape Town: The most recent crime statistics show the number of children killed in the Western Cape has decreased from 48 in the third quarter to 39 in the fourth, but children's rights organisations contend that the province's youth continue to face a number of challenges.
Police Oversight and Community Safety, MEC Reagen Allen, said children killed in the province were 20 fewer compared to the same period of the previous year.
“It will never be acceptable that one child, or any person for that matter, is killed. Whether this is in our province or anywhere in the country, under no circumstances is it condoned,” said Allen.
Asked if he thinks children were safer in the Western Cape than other provinces, he said that in 2019, the Western Cape Government launched its Western Cape Safety Plan (WCSP) to address safety across the province.
“We want to ensure that residents live in improved, safer and dignified environments. We are making strides, but there is a long way to go. As the crime statistics show, fewer children are being murdered, but we still have a long way to go in ensuring that all residents, particularly our children, are free from fear,” said Allen.
As the country observed National Child Protection Week from May 28 to June 4, the Western Cape Child Protection Alliance said studies showed that violence was everywhere, and that most children experienced or witnessed multiple forms of violence in their homes, schools and communities.
“Nationally, 42% of children have experienced some form of violence, including sexual abuse (35%), physical violence (35%), emotional abuse (26%), and neglect (15%). But community studies show far higher rates of exposure and trauma in Soweto (99%) and Khayelitsha (80%),” said the alliance.
Ronel van Zyl, director of social services programmes at Badisa, said for the last five years, subsidies for child protection NGOs in the Western Cape have remained at the same level.
“Because of rising costs and inflation, this means a cut in real terms of between 20 to 25%. Designated child protection organisations are now at breaking point. It’s the worst it has ever been,” said van Zyl.
Social Development MEC Sharna Fernandez said during the 2018/19 financial year, child protection NGOs were allocated R164 million in transfer funding by the department.
“This amount was also only for the subsidy of social worker posts. The impact of a declining economy, the impact of above-inflation public sector wage increases implemented nationally, and the shifting of funding toward disaster relief efforts in the wake of the Covid pandemic, have meant that the department has not been able to increase transfer funding in line with inflation. This has effectively translated into reduced allocations for child protection NGOs, along with other sectors that the department funds,” said Fernandez.
She said the Western Cape Department of Social Development’s current funding allocation towards NGOs: R200m for Child Protection NGOs, for salary subsidies. This includes:
– 117 NGOs, R119,8m for NGO Child and Youth Care Centres.
– 53 NGOs, R74m to Children and Family NGOs for Preventative and Early Intervention work.
– 130 NGOs, R18,4m to After-School Services to Children – 110 NGOs. The total for the Child Protection and Families Budget is R412, 2m.
“We believe that all children have the right to be protected in their environments by their parents or caregivers. The primary responsibility for child protection lies with parents and caregivers. But when children are vulnerable, abused, neglected and exploited they are considered to be in need of care and protection. The Western Cape Department of Social Development has a range of services aimed at the protection of children,” said Fernandez.
Weekend Argus