17 Jun 2021

Children have been encouraged to speak out as that would add value to Botswana’s development.

The encouragement was given by Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Mr Eric Molale on Day of the African Child commemoration in Tsabong Wednesday.

 Minister Molale, who received a document detailing issues raised by children, promised to take action.

“I will act on the document passed to me and share with cabinet, I am aware that some of the issues will require a budget, we will work on them,” he stated.

  Minister Molale said Botswana held children’s rights in the highest regard and that President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi, who was part of inaugural June 16 commemoration in Tsabong 30 years ago, encouraged children to voice their concerns freely so that appropriate action could be taken.

Mr Molale, who was Kgalagadi District Commissioner at the time, was at the forefront of the event’s organisation.

  He said government continued to create an enabling environment for promotion of children’s rights as demonstrated through provision of legislative safeguards such as 2009 Children’s Act.

 The country continuously developed, reviewed and domesticated such treaties into law in its endeavour to comply with global and continental child wellbeing standards, he said.

Citing review of the Penal Code to align it with Children’s Act and by extension, the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child to which Botswana was a signatory, he said reforms on the child justice system were underway.

However, he said more needed to be done to amend customary law to protect children .

Cases of child sexual abuse should not be swept under the carpet and laws should be enforced to ensure conviction of perpetrators, Mr Molale said.

  He stressed the need to improve ways of dealing with issues affecting children saying,  “It important to reflect on children’s interests, our role as parents. There should be a divide between interests of the child and our interests. We should have a convergence zone”.

The minister called for all stakeholders including UNICEF to work with government to come up with laws in the interest of children.

  Speaking to the theme, ‘30 years after the adoption of the charter: accelerate implementation of agenda 2040 for an Africa fit for children’, he said it was critical to fastrack resolutions towards enabling children to live freely and their interests embraced.

 Recalling the 1976 events in Soweto, South Africa which influenced recognition of June 16 continentally, Mr Molale said many youngsters were killed while boldly protesting against apartheid.

  “Parents were in the backseat while children fought for their future. They fought against apartheid regime education,” he said.

 He said the students who relentlessly fought for their rights would forever be remembered through commemoration of the Day of the African Child.

  For her part, UNICEF country representative Dr Joan Matji lauded Botswana for the deliberate efforts made to create a safe and nurturing environment for children.

Ratification of the convention on children’s rights and African charter as well as solid legislative framework  signified Botswana’s commitment to protecting the rights of children, she said.

Botswana, she said, had made positive progress with more than 90 per cent of children up to the age of 16 enrolled in school.

 Ms Matji said the country had also managed to increase the right to an identity with birth registration rate having risen from 73.1 to 94.7 per cent between 2012 and 2017.

She however said more needed to be done to accelerate child focused actions to ensure all rights enshrined in the Children’s Act were attained. 

Efforts to protect children from gender based violence, child abuse and neglect should be stepped up,  Dr Matji said.

She said the COVID-19 pandemic called for acceleration of Agenda 2040 implementation.

On behalf of the National Children’s Consultative Forum, Kgalagadi District chairperson Lefika Kgadisa said the numerous challenges children were faced with needed to be addressed.

 He called on all stakeholders to join hands in supporting children whom he said should be more involved in decision making on issues affecting them.

Mr Kgadisa said the adverse effects of COVID-19 had left most children in need of psychosocial support stressing that such services should be availed.

Also needed were stronger law enforcement measures in handling of cases involving children, child-friendly spaces in police facilities, enforcement of laws to protect children, conviction of perpetrators and improvement of case turnaround times. 

 

 He called for accelerated action on child labour issues. ENDS