National Children's Day Events; briefing

Meeting report

JOINT MONITORING COMMITTEE ON THE IMPROVEMENT OF QUALITY OF LIFE AND STATUS OF CHILDREN, YOUTH AND DISABLED PERSONS
25 October 2001
NATIONAL CHILDREN'S DAY EVENTS: BRIEFING

Acting Chairperson: Mr MT Goniwe (ANC)

Documents handed out:
Briefing on National Children's Day (Appendix)

SUMMARY
The Director of the National Program of Action for Children in South Africa briefed the Committee on the Children's Day celebrations taking place in the Northern Province on 3 November 2001. The theme of this year's celebration would be 'Every child is my child'. In the Northern Province the rights of the child have been grossly undermined. The Committee was requested to attend the celebrations and give feedback to her organization on things that needed to be improved.

MINUTES
Ms Thoko Mkwanazi-Xaluva, Director: National Program of Action for Children in South Africa, explained that National Children's events would take place on 3 November 2001 in Petersburg in the Northern Province. The theme of the celebration would be 'Every child is my child'. They have arrived at this theme because they know that all communities, regardless of race or class feels the same way about their children, hence their belief that this theme would relate to all of South Africa and specifically to the province concerned. The celebration would include setting up stalls for the different NGO's working on issues concerning children. The event itself will take place on the Petersburg Cricket grounds. Through this forum government bodies would inform people of the kinds of services they are rendering to the public i.e. maintenance, children with disability.

In her view the celebrations would be as informative as possible to the communities and various government structures, which would get the opportunity to get feed back from the people. They would be able to draw on this information when they form new policies in the event that those that are currently in place are not having the desired effect. Children lacked access to resources such as telephones, radios because these belonged to their parents and hence they are unable to report when they are abused.

The celebrations were being held in the Northern Province because this province has never held such an event for children before, its always been held in Gauteng. They were therefore giving the children of this province the opportunity to tell their own stories. This program would also go beyond children's right but it would also be a day filled with entertainment for the children of this province. The celebration also aims to find the talent that is there in that Province. These would be done through cultural events would be taking place were children would be competing for prices in songs, dance etc. The SABC's talent search show would be covering this part of the event, with keen interest on the day. In the afternoon, Kwaito artist such as Mdu, Mzambia, Msawawa and Tamara would entertain the more matured children. This entertainment would focus on spreading out positive messages to the youth, in that Gospel artist such as Rebecca Malope have been invited. The event was also aimed at allowing those neighborhoods that have children staying alone in homes to come and tell them how these children live from day to day. She said the event aims to be on par with the President's Report in which, it is stated that there is a need to look at critical issues that effect children in this country. She lastly said people on the day should be able to tell the community when their problems would be solved and who to contact if they are not finding joy in the process i.e. its taking to long for them to be solved.

Discussion
Ghandi E (ANC) asked whether the presence of the media would deter those children that are vulnerable from disclosing their problems to the social workers that would be on site at the celebrations?

Ms Mkwanazi-Xaluva responded that they are well aware of the difficulties and they agree that the question of confidentiality is essential. The National Program of Action has made plans to maintain the utmost confidentiality in the celebrations. A tent would be erected on the ground and within that tent there would be stalls that will be used for children to tell their problems. However if some of these children feel uneasy about speaking to a social worker on site they would be encouraged to leave their name and the name of their schools. This would create a sense of trust and confidentiality in children faced with some of the inhuman deeds done by their elders.

Mr SL Dithebe (ANC) said the theme of the celebration strikes a cord with him as an African, because it embodies one of the African values that my neighbor's child is my child and my child is his. He asked whether there was proper consultation done in all the communities in South Africa in order to avoid a situation in which this event is seen as a catering for African children and ignoring the rest of the population in South Africa?

Ms Xaluva believed that proper research had been done to select the theme and all communities, regardless of race or class, felt very strongly about their children's up bringing. People would have different interpretations of the theme, however they always seem to have a similar understanding of what it tries to achieve and that is caring for the children.

Mr Dithebe asked whether elders in the communities were invited to these celebrations to talk to the youth on social values?

Ms Mkhwanazi-Xaluva explained that they have invited the amakhosi in the area and believed this would be the beginning of a long lasting relationship between them in dealing with problems faced by children in their areas. She emphasised that the amakhosi must make it their problem to find out why children are staying on their own and how they are taken care off. The adults in the country have stopped caring about what happens to someone else's child, i.e. in cases were adult see children walking on their own in the streets and never stop and ask them where their parents are. In many cases children do not run away from their homes but rather get lost and end up on the streets, because they don't know the way back home. As a nation we should go back to our roots of caring for someone else as we do for our own, and this is a phenomenon that effect people of all races and classes.

Ms Witbooi (NNP) asked whether the Department has made sure that each and every child in the province has heard the advertisement in his or her own language.

Ms Xaluva explained that announcements about these events take place in all the different languages spoken in that province. She was therefore confident that the news of the celebration has reached every ear in the province. Advertisements were also placed in larger radio stations, which broadcast in the whole of Gauteng.

Ms Newhoudt-Druchen W S (ANC) asked whether they had made provisions for children with disability in these celebrations especially those children who constantly need care takers?

Ms Mkhwanazi-Xaluva explained that a tent would be erected for children with disabilities mainly because they needed much more care. However she said they would be part of the celebrations and only taken to the tent for meals.

Mr Goniwe, acting Chairperson, said he was concerned about the fact that the Committee and the Department do not have a full program for the year on events that would take place for children in a given year. If there were such a program it would make it easier for them to go back to their constituencies and inform them about these programs.

Ms Xaluva agreed that plans should be set in place in the beginning of each year in order for the members of parliament to mobilize their constituencies to promote the rights of children. Such channels for mobilising needed to be explored by both the National Program of Action and the Committee with different Departments.

Ms Bogopane (ANC) asked the Director what kind of contribution were they expecting from the committee.

She responded that they would need help with the National events. The department would like to stage such events in all the provinces in the near future and therefore the backing from the Committee would play a huge role in making that a success. However in the upcoming event they would like the Committee to attend the events and afterwards to give feedback to the Department on things that needed to be improved upon. She would like the Committee to place its own stall on the site of the celebration next to other NGO's that deal with the rights of the children in South Africa. By doing this she believe people would become more aware of the role of the Committee itself and how it relates to other Departments dealing with the rights of children in South Africa. This would tighten the monitoring of such events.

The meeting was adjourned.

Appendix:
National Children's Day 2001
The Office on the Rights of the child, which is driving the National Programme of Action (NPA) on Children's Rights in the Presidency, will be celebrating National Children's Day on November 3, 2001 in the Northern Province. This annual event celebrated every first Saturday of November is coordinated in conjunction with several government departments and the Northern Province Programme of Action.

The NPA is a programme, which seeks to create and build an environment where children are nurtured and can grow up to be the best they can be. It also seeks to develop a new culture within South Africa where children can be given the priority they deserve in all walks of life. Its vision is based on the theme "Put Children First". Provincial Programmes of Action across the country will hold their provincial celebrations.

Children's day brings government closer to the people thereby creating an opportunity for communities particularly parents and children to access government services to children. Government departments showcase and also provide assistance and advise to parents and children on the day.

Government will also give progress made with regard to children's rights. The day provides an opportunity to schools and children's homes to acquire more knowledge about services and children's rights for educational purposes. It will also highlight a variety of children's issues - from education to health care, from child abuse to promoting a culture of peace and non-violence.

This year's theme is "Every Child is My Child".

The celebrations, which started in 1999, were celebrated successfully in Gauteng for the past two years. The rotation of the event starts in the Northern Province and will move from one province to another.

This year's celebrations will also see the launch of the results of the South African version of the "Yes Campaign" called the "Hear Our Voices Campaign" which is a United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) initiative which aims at asking children what they think are the most important issues that government should be concentrating on to protect their rights. Almost two million children across the country were polled through schools, Residential Care Facilities including schools for children with disabilities.

The following government departments will have stalls where they will be exhibiting services made available by government in creating a conducive environment for children to grow in:
* Health * Minerals and Energy * Social Development * Communications * Justice * Safety and Security * Correctional Services

The details of the venue are as follows:
Pietersburg Cricket Grounds, Pietersburg DATE: Saturday, 3 November, 2001, 9:00
Appearing for the children are some of the country's young musicians Mzambiya, Msawawa, Mshoza and Purity and stars Ringo Madlingozi, Mdu, Jabu Hlongwane, Mthunzi Namba and Four Man Act, Amon Mvula and Mafikizolo. Also on stage will be celebrities from some of the country's top TV shows - Generations, YO TV, Starsearch, Soul Buddyz and Isidingo - radio personalities and sports stars from both Kaizer Chiefs and Ria Stars as well as cultural performances.

Enquiries: Thoko Mkhwanazi-Xaluva Office on the status of the Child in The Presidency (012) 337 5216