24 Nov 2021

Maun Administration Authority (MAA) has resuscitated about 25 Child Protection Committees across its villages. 

MAA Chairperson, Mr Vepaune Moreti said this when officially opening the MAA council meeting on Monday. 

Mr Moreti said child protection committees had become defunct since 2019 due to lack of training of committee members and funds. Child protection committees were in line with the Children’s Act of 2009 as a structure recognised by government to intervene and sensitise communities on cases of Gender Based Violence (GBV) and child protection, he said. 

He noted the revival of the committees, was achieved through commitment and in house training by the relevant department, which was done from October 19 to November 4. 

“It is a remarkable achievement where 24 out of 25 committees are trained and ready for intervention in the communities on GBV and child protection issues,” he said. 

Mr Moreti therefore appealed to councilors to support Child Protection Committees in their areas saying the success of the committees would help address high number of cases of child abuse and negligence. He observed that cases of abuse of children were on the increase in his jurisdiction. 

He said the Department of Social and Community Development had registered 133 since the beginning of the year. 

Mr Moreti said out of the 133 cases, 74 were related to rape and defilement. 

ends