Picture: The North West Social Development communicator, Lerato Digoamaje/Supplied
By LERATO DIGOAMAJE
9 June 2025- As crime against children surges, the need for deliberate action by all members of the society has never been more urgent. With the trend of recent high-profile cases referencing denominations of child abuse, neglect, and exploitation, such as the kidnapping of Joshlin Smith in the Western Cape and the tragic case of seven-year-old Cwecwe from the Eastern Cape, the national conversation around child protection remains critical to the cause.
Even more jarring is the reality that South Africa, it has been explicitly established that a child goes missing every five hours. These are not just headlines, but a reflection of a ‘pandemic’ that cuts across communities.
If we are serious about rescuing vulnerable children from bleak futures, there is one critical question to tackle: How do we rewrite their destinies?
The uncomfortable truth, often overlooked, is that the answer begins at home. When we grew up in those plastic years, we usually heard parents saying, it takes a village to raise a child.
Every person on the street was a care giver and would do anything in their power to protect children. Today, people tend to turn a blind eye, precisely because it not their child that is being abused.
We have reached a point where we have produced bystanders and videographers of Gender-Based Violence. This is a sign of a broken moral fibre of our society.
The contribution of the family unit in child protection cannot be overstated. It is within these homes that children must feel safe, loved, and valued. Yet, many South African families are tackling with immense pressures, cultural norms, socioeconomic challenges, and, at times, the very systems meant to protect them.
In this climate, government initiatives such as the recent outreach at Thari Primary School in the
Moses Kotane Local Municipality, led by the North West Department of Social Development, remain crucial in addressing child safety and protection. However, no government programme, however well-intentioned, can displace the primary responsibility of parents and guardians in ensuring the role of nurturing potential within each child; a potential that, when left unattended, risks causing more harm and vulnerability for these children.
Recent community-led initiatives, such as the reintroduction of the Chommy programme
in Moses Kotane Local Municipality, highlight the importance of collective action. These
programmes focus on creating safe spaces for children to share their concerns and experiences, as well as providing educational tools that enable them to understand how their rights work and be in better positions to recognise potential threats.
These kind of government initiatives still play a progressive role, but they must be supported by a
cultural shift within many homes. The home should be the first line of defense against
abuse, where children are allowed to speak out with the knowledge that their concerns
will be heard and acted upon.
In South Africa, particularly in the North West province, a total of 751 cases were reported by the South African Police Services (SAPS) in the latest statistics report during the 2024/2025 fiscal year, with sexual abuse and deliberate neglect being primed the most prevalent forms of child abuse.
During this year’s launch of the Child
Protection Week, led by Minister Sisisi Tolashe in the Free State, she revealed an additional worrying load of statistics, that hail that some 26 852 cases were reported during the 2024/2025 fiscal year, with physical abuse playing secondary an approximate of 3965 cases being recorded.
However, the challenges facing families are not just about creating awareness, they are deeply tied to cultural practices and historical contexts linked to our homes. Take, for example, the normalised use of corporal punishment, which is still prevalent across many households, predominantly in rural areas.
Studies have shown that corporal punishment can have severe long-term psychological effects on children, increasing their vulnerability to violence. Additionally, cultural norms that promote emotional detachment between parents and children contribute to a sense of isolation and vulnerability.
These practices not only perpetuate abuse but also hinder open communication, one of the most effective tools in child protection. In homes where children feel emotionally supported, they are more likely to report abuse, neglect, or any form of violence they might be experiencing.
Parents or guardians who foster an environment of open dialogue can spot signs of distress, which could then in turn make the difference between a child’ safety and continued suffering. Emotional literacy does not require financial resources; it requires commitment, time, and the willingness to change cultural practices that have done more harm than good.
In tandem with these grassroots efforts, government initiatives like the North West
Department of Social Development’s intervention in Bojanala Platinum District have proven to play a progressive role in offering a safe refuge for vulnerable children. The department oversees several Child and Youth Care Centers (CYCCs) across the province, which provide key services to children in distressing circumstances.
These centers, including Care 2be Kind, Rustenburg Child and Youth Care Centre, and SOS Children’s Village, offer more than just temporary refuge. They provide educational support, life skills training, and health screening, all of which interplay integral components in the long-term recovery of children who have experienced abuse, neglect or exploitation.
Moreover, the CYCCs in the region, such as the Reamogetswe Child and Youth Care Centre, do not only serve as safe refuges for children between the ages of 0 (the age of infancy) until 18, but also get to provide progressive educational foundations for their future. These centers collaborate closely with local schools and the department’s social
welfare services to ensure that every child in their care receives proper schooling, health checks, and consistent psychosocial support. In many ways, these centres represent the physical manifestation of what families need to become: nurturing, protective spaces where children can heal and thrive.
How do we ensure that the progressive work being done by the government and non-
profit organisations is supported by a parallel cultural shift in family structures?
Government can and does intervene, but the real change begins when each of us takes
responsibility for our children’s safety. The recent case of a newborn baby abandoned in
Boitumelong, Bloemhof, now under government care entities, indicates just how urgent
our collective action should be. Every step, from government interventions to local
community outreach, contributes to preventing these heart-wrenching stories from
becoming the norm.
Parents must understand that child protection is not just the responsibility of schools,
social workers, or the police—it starts with them. Simple actions like engaging in open
communication, fostering empathy, and creating safe emotional spaces can go a long
way in ensuring that children grow up in environments that respect their dignity and
protect their rights. While interventions like the Thari Primary School outreach and the
work done in our CYCCs are essential, we must not forget that the home is where the
foundation for child safety begins.
Let us focus on taking concrete actions within our own homes to foster a culture of
respect, understanding, and care. It starts with the decisions we make everyday as
parents, caregivers, and community members. Through a contingent collective effort, at
home, in our schools, and through government programmes, the urgent call to intervene
on this “pandemic” is a plausible cause.
(Note: Lerato Digoamaje is Communicator in the Department of Social Development based in
Bojanala District Office and the content of the article remain the views of the author. The Guardian Newspaper and its associates do not agree nor disagree with the content written.)
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