Hon Deputy Speaker, hon members, hon Ministers and, most importantly, the South African people, the Basic Conditions of Employment Amendment Bill is being presented in this esteemed House during Youth Month and I feel very honoured to be here today. One of the main objectives of this amending Bill is to prohibit the exploitation of children. Section 43 of the Basic Conditions of Employment Act prohibits certain employment of children, but not work performed by children. Clause 3 of the Bill seeks to amend section 43 of the Act in order to prohibit work by children under the age of 15 years. Clause 3 also makes it an offence for any person to require or permit a child to perform any work or provide any service that places at risk the child's wellbeing.
Section 93 of the Act is also amended to extend penalties for offences of employment of children and forced labour from three years to six years. Chairperson, the main objective of the Basic Conditions of Employment Act is to provide for the prohibition of certain exploitative practices by employers.
Some sections of South African society believe that our labour laws are restrictive and reduce economic growth. Now the question that we as South Africans need to be asking is: Why is it necessary to have laws that seek to prohibit exploitative practices by employers? Surely, we wouldn't need laws like this if employers treated their employees with respect and dignity. Surely, we wouldn't need provisions that prohibit child labour if employers didn't exploit children.
Sadly, Chairperson, in South Africa today children and adults are often exploited by their employers. Sadly, we find ourselves living in a country where the lust for wealth far outweighs the love of humanity. This lust for wealth is detrimental to the poor and vulnerable workers. It is unpatriotic to exploit workers and this ANC-led government will not stand for it. The DA doesn't support the laws that try to stop exploitation. So, the question is: Whose interests is the DA protecting? Perhaps the former apartheid collaborators, who sit in this very House, would like to see the return of slavery, where workers had no rights at all. Perhaps the former apartheid collaborators would like to bring back apartheid. [Interjections.]
Let us not forget that some sections of our society made lots of money exploiting workers during apartheid. Chairperson, the exploitation of children under 15 years of age occurs largely in the farming and domestic work sectors and in some cases the mining, manufacturing and retail sectors. The proposed amendments seek to address the situation by mirroring section 28 of our Constitution, which says:
Every child has the right not to be required or permitted to perform work or provide services that are inappropriate for a person of that child's age; or place at risk the child's wellbeing, education, physical or mental health or spiritual, moral or social development.
Chairperson, it is up to us as society to make sure that our children are not exploited in any way and this proposed legislation will go a long way towards addressong this situation. These proposed amendments will also achieve full compliance with South Africa's obligations under relevant international standards, and breach of these proposed provisions is a criminal offence.
When this ANC-led government passes this amending Bill, it will be a criminal offence to exploit children in the workplace. We as South Africans must take responsibility. It is up to us to report situations where we see child exploitation happening around us. If you know of anyone who is employing children on any farms - report it. If you know of anyone employing children in their homes - report it. If you know of anyone employing children in their factories or shops - report it. Report it, South Africa.
On 16 June 1976 children died fighting against an exploitative system so that we, South Africa, can live in a democratic country. Let us as a collective not fail our children today by averting our eyes when we witness child exploitation. Let us as one united South African tribe send a clear message to all those who exploit children in the workplace. Let us report every single incident of child exploitation in the workplace and bring an end to this practice. South Africa is a much better place to live in since the dawn of our freedom in 1994, because working together, we do more.
The ANC supports this Bill. Now let us as South Africans implement it. It is we, South Africa, who implement the laws because working together, we can do more. I thank you. [Applause.]