22 Jul 2018

Keng residents have been advised to form committees that are aimed at protecting the rights and interests of children.

Addressing a kgotla meeting recently, Assistant Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Ms Botlogile Tshireletso underscored the need to understand the Children’s Act and implement its provisions.

Ms Tshireletso said such committees would ensure that parents take responsibility for their children’s upbringing, failing which action would be taken against them.

“It is the responsibility of both biological parents to take care of their child, irrespective of whether they are married or not,” she said.

She noted that children also had the right to know their rights, hence they were encouraged to write both biological parents’ names on the birth certificate.

She said even though some people were against this provision, the ultimate goal was to protect the rights and interest of the child.

Ms Tshireletso called on mothers to desist from denying fathers the opportunity to be involved in the upbringing of their children.

She said even though they had conflicts as parents, they should find an amicable way of co-parenting so that the child could know both parents.

She also said mothers should not use child maintenance money for other things other than the child’s needs.

Furthermore, she said the government continued to assist children whose parents could not fully meet their needs.

That, she said was done through the children in need of care and needy students programmes, adding that was also government’s effort to give dignity to those children so that they could fit well with others.

However, she appealed to grandparents to report their children who abandon kids at the villages without proper care and support.

Keng residents commended the assistant minister for addressing a topic, which was a concern in their village.

Ms Kelesitse Rangaka said some young parents in the village were not taking care of their children and had left them with grandparents.

She attributed alcohol to this trend, saying most young people were more focused on drinking alcohol than making a living for their children.

Mr Ditiro Melaetsa concurred that abandoned children were denied the right to education, hence suggested that a pre-school would help address the situation.

On other issues, the residents decried lack of water, which they said had hampered the progress of poverty eradication projects such as backyard gardens and LIMID.

They said even those who were willing to improve their economic situation had now been reduced to beggars since they could not be all absorbed by the Ipelegeng programme.

However, the Water Utilities Corporation (WUC) general manager for Kanye, Mr Thuso Modise said the corporation was acknowledged aware of the water situation in Keng and was investigating the cause of the problem since there was abundabt water in the tanks.

He said they suspected blockages inside the pipes, something which he said they would be rectify within a short period. ENDS