How can SA stop its children from being slaughtered?

Since the beginning of the year, 26 children have been murdered in the Western Cape alone.

Outraged by the increased visibility of child abuse and child murders, the Community Chest of the Western Cape held a discussion in an attempt to find solutions to address this problem.

“This is a serious, troubling and emotive issue”, said Community Chest project manager, Joan Daries.

“For us this was not an event, it was a start of a process.”

The various stakeholders invited included Belville’s Warrant Officer Petersen, the Philisa Abafazi Bethu non-profit organisation, Provincial Community Policing Forum and The Trauma Centre non-governmental organisation.

“The most impressive contribution was from Valdi van Reenen-Le Roux,” said Daries.

“When we talk about child murders we’re talking about a very complex situation, we’re talking about a situation that goes beyond simple interpersonal violence”, said Valdi van Reenen-Le Roux, executive director of The Trauma Centre.

The Trauma Centre does a lot of research on child murders and was the source of the number of child murders.

Van Reenen-Le Roux reiterated the call for a commission of inquiry into the safety of children in the Western Cape.

This call was also included in their 2015 trauma report.

“We called on the premier to establish a commission of inquiry into the safety of our children in the Western Cape so that we can link it to sustainable preventative mechanisms,” she said.

When presented to Helen Zille, the proposal for this commission was reportedly “turned down”.

“With this commission of enquiry you are not doing us a favour it is your job,” said Van Reenen-Le Roux directing at Zille.

Zille took to Twitter and denied that she rejected establishing the commission.

“I reached an agreement with the [non-governmental organisations]. The ball is in their court and I am waiting for them to come back to me,” said Zille in the tweet.

Acting national executive director of Child Welfare South Africa, Dr Benny Obayi, said a commission of inquiry was necessary.

“There needs to be a stronger involvement of the government, like the panel of inquiry to find solutions.

“Child protection needs to be a priority. Government needs to source funding specifically aimed at child protection,” added Obayi.

Daries pointed out that many people living in poverty face the situation of 20 people living in one house, children sleeping among adults, which “create opportunity for abuse”.

Obayi said there wasn’t one reason for child abuse – causes could be psychological or social – and that extensive research needs to be done on the causes.

He said family planning could also play a role because some families had too many children and they couldn’t look after them all.

Daries said the discussion was “a call for us to dig deeper into our humanity”.