25 Feb 2019

Serowe Administrative Authority (SAA) principal social welfare officer, Mr Molatedi Monthe says Village Child Protection Committees are essential because they protect children from abuse by identifying and providing services to survivors.

Mr Monthe was a resource person during a three-day child protection workshop in Serowe recently, where participants included dikgosi, social workers, VDCs, students, teachers and parents.

Participants were from SAA villages of Serowe, Paje, Mabeleapodi, Tshimoyapula, Majwanaadipitse, Mmashoro, Thabala, Dimajwe, Moiyabana, Sehunou, Mabuo, Motshegaletau, Mogorosi and Malatswae villages.

Geographical coverage of SAA includes 14 villages, most of which have experienced child abuse. 

The majority of the villages are also affected by poverty.

The region is served by 11 social workers.

Mr Monthe indicated that the sub-council through the Department of Social and Community Development (S&CD) were concerned about child abuse and requested all stakeholders to work together to arrest the situation, which was increasing at an alarming rate.

He said common cases included rape, drug and alcohol abuse, property grabbing, incest, parental negligence, school dropouts, teenage pregnancy, defilement and murder.

Mr Monthe stated that statistics showed that there were clients in need of social protection.

Nature of cases and their numbers so far, he said, were permanent destitute persons - 1 865, temporary destitute persons -  32, orphans - 1 442, needy students - 1 983, children in need protection - 78 and case work general - 101.

Mr Monthe said ongoing cases of defilement were 31, further noting that there were children in conflict with the law.

Defilement cases, he said, were a problem because most of the children did not have birth certificates and that defeated most cases. 

He stated that children neglected by both parents in those villages were many, hence child protection committees must be revived because children were future leaders of their villages.

He said the committees should prevent the abuse from occurring in the first place and from recurring by working with key stakeholders.

Accountability by committees,  he said, was also important to ensure prosecution of perpetrators.

“Cases should also be profiled,” stated Mr Monthe.

Participants were informed that the Social Welfare Division aims to improve and maintain the wellbeing of individuals, groups and communities to enhance and restore capacity for social functioning.

“In addition, it provides services that restart the individual to live harmoniously with their environment and the division encompasses destitution, case work, orphan care and Community Home Based Care Programmes,’’ he said.

He added that some parents were not caring for their children, leaving government to carry their burden. ENDS