The DA in the province has called for stronger action by law enforcement agencies in dealing with fathers who default on paying child maintenance.

Scores the party’s supporters marched from Kimberley’s Indian Centre to the city hall at the weekend to hand over a petition on child maintenance to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).

DA provincial leader Andrew Louw called on all the men to take responsibility for their actions, specifically those who neglect to pay maintenance for their children.

“At the same time, we are raising awareness among those parents who are ignorant with regards to their rights to claim maintenance. The payment of child maintenance is vitally important in helping single mothers to raise children with decent healthcare and education. It also reinforces the responsibility on fathers to assist in the raising of their children.”

Louw said several people were failing to pay child maintenance.

“Those defaulting on their maintenance payments are simply getting away with it. It is against this backdrop that the DA handed over the petition to the NPA.”

“It is our submission that the NPA must start working with provincial government departments and law enforcement agencies to ensure that all absent parents pay child maintenance.”

Authorities in the Western Cape recently embarked on a campaign to arrest maintenance defaulters. In the first week of this operation, as many as 150 maintenance defaulters handed themselves over before they could be arrested.

“We believe that by following the lead of the Western Cape in this matter, the Northern Cape government could also help women claim maintenance from absent fathers, and in so doing promote responsible parenting,” Louw said.