ACCELERATING ACTION TO END VIOLENCE AGAINST CHILDREN IN SOUTH AFRICA

By Minister of Social Development, Nokuzola Sisisi Tolashe

• ⁠As Child Protection Month gets underway, the Minister of Social Development, Sisisi Tolashe, is reminding South Africans that protecting children is a continuous responsibility that must be upheld every day.
• With an estimated 21 million children in South Africa, the responsibility to protect them is both vast and urgent.⁠
• ⁠South Africa, as a signatory to the Bogota Declaration, has strengthened its child protection initiatives by declaring gender-based violence and femicide a national disaster, collaborating across the Southern African Development Community, and elevating Child Protection Month as a National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS) project.

With less than a year remaining before the 2027 deadline for countries to report on progress towards the Bogotá commitment to end violence against children, South Africa stands at a critical juncture, one that demands urgency, coordination and unwavering focus.

The Bogotá Declaration, adopted at the First Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence Against Children held in Bogotá, Colombia, in November 2024, is a global pledge through which South Africa joined more than 100 governments worldwide in committing to accelerate efforts to end violence against children by 2027.

South Africa’s pledge was made by the Minister of Social Development on 25 October 2024 and delivered at the Ministerial Conference, reaffirming the country’s constitutional obligations and strengthening national priorities to protect children across all 52 districts through coordinated, measurable and time-bound interventions.

This commitment is not just a timeline, it is a call to action to ensure that every child, in every corner of the country, is safe, protected and able to thrive.

With an estimated 21 million children in South Africa, the responsibility to protect is both vast and urgent. Behind this number are individual lives, children whose safety, dignity and future must remain at the centre of all efforts.

It is against this background that South Africa continues to scale up interventions to end violence against children through Child Protection Month and the 365 Days Child Protection Programme of Action.

South Africa’s pledge identified key breakthrough areas guiding this work, including strengthening parent and caregiver support, creating safe environments, expanding response care and healing services, promoting positive norms and values, deepening collaboration within the Southern African Development Community (SADC), advancing child participation, and strengthening economic support for vulnerable families.

Since endorsing the Bogotá Declaration, South Africa has taken concrete steps to strengthen implementation. The declaration of gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) as a national disaster signalled a heightened national response. Collaboration through the Inter-Ministerial Committee on GBVF continues to drive the National Strategic Plan and Disaster Action Plan, focusing on prevention, justice outcomes and accountability.

In addition, South Africa has strengthened regional collaboration within the SADC region through memoranda of understanding to protect children on the move and ensure cross-border child protection. These measures reflect tangible progress in translating global commitments into action.

Child Protection Month 2026 has therefore been elevated as a National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS) project, signalling a strengthened, coordinated government response. This approach brings together law enforcement, justice, health, education and social services to intensify prevention, response and accountability.

Importantly, this year’s campaign places a deliberate focus on rural municipalities, where vulnerabilities are heightened due to limited access to services, socio-economic challenges and underreporting. By taking services directly to communities, the government is reinforcing its commitment to ensuring that no child is left behind.

A crisis we can no longer ignore

Despite progress, the realities remain deeply concerning. By the third quarter of the 2025/26 financial year, 1 751 children aged 10–14 had given birth, while more than 80 000 births were recorded among girls aged 15–19.

The National Child Protection Register recorded 8 984 cases of child abuse, including 3 258 cases of sexual abuse. Statutory rape cases increased from 127 in 2024/25 to 199 in 2025/26. These figures point to a complex and urgent crisis requiring both prevention and a strengthened response.

Recent cases have further underscored this urgency. The case of a church leader accused of raping a 12-year-old girl in Dobsonville, Soweto, who abandoned his bail application at the Roodepoort Magistrates’ Court, has shocked the nation. Such incidents are a painful reminder that violence against children remains a lived reality and that spaces meant to offer safety, including homes, schools and places of worship, can become sites of harm.

At the same time, increased reporting of such cases suggests that communities are beginning to break the silence and trust systems to respond. This shift must be strengthened, while institutions entrusted with shaping society lead by example in safeguarding children.

A 365-day commitment to protection

The evolution of Child Protection Month into a sustained national programme reflects the understanding that protecting children requires continuous effort. Child protection is a 365-day responsibility.

This year’s programme focuses on strengthening prevention and response to statutory rape through interventions that include educating children to recognise grooming, empowering caregivers to engage openly on safety, working with traditional and religious leaders, and strengthening reporting and accountability systems. These interventions aim not only to respond to, but to prevent, abuse.

Government in action

The government continues to implement an integrated approach to child protection. Through social grants, over 13 million children receive critical support. Nutrition and food security programmes, including school feeding schemes, early childhood development support, growth monitoring, immunisation and maternal health services, contribute to the well-being of children.

The government also provides access to education, healthcare, social welfare, birth registration, disability support, substance abuse prevention and protection services for survivors of violence.

Collaboration remains central. Departments including Social Development, Basic Education, Health, Justice, Home Affairs and the South African Police Service are working together to improve reporting, strengthen victim support, enhance accountability, expand prevention programmes, and ensure children can access integrated services that protect and nurture them.

Communities as partners in protection

Ending violence against children requires more than policy – it requires people. Child Protection Month 2026 will be implemented in targeted districts, beginning in Zululand District Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal and concluding in the Chris Hani District Municipality in the Eastern Cape. These engagements bring together children, caregivers, traditional leaders, religious leaders and stakeholders in a unified effort to protect children.

Traditional and religious leaders remain critical partners due to their influence and reach. Encouragingly, communities are increasingly recognising the importance of reporting abuse and supporting survivors. This shift must continue, as silence can no longer be an option.

Communities must also know where to seek help. Children and caregivers can report abuse through the 24-hour Gender-Based Violence Command Centre on 0800 428 428, the South African Police Service emergency line 10111, or Childline 116. Speaking out can be the first step in saving a child.

From commitment to change

The Bogotá Declaration provides a clear direction, but its success will be measured on the ground by whether children feel safe, whether communities act, and whether systems respond effectively.

Encouragingly, growing levels of reporting suggest increasing awareness and willingness to act. While rising numbers reflect the scale of the challenge, they may also signal growing trust in protection systems. This momentum must be matched by stronger prevention, faster response and sustained accountability.

With less than a year remaining before countries report on progress towards the 2027 commitment, the focus must now be on accelerated implementation, stronger partnerships and measurable impact.

A shared responsibility

As the Department of Social Development, we reaffirm our commitment to leading and coordinating efforts to protect children. But this responsibility belongs to all of us.

Protecting children is not confined to a campaign – it is a continuous responsibility that must be upheld every day. Because every child deserves not only protection, but the opportunity to grow, thrive and realise their full potential in a society that truly cares.

Opinion piece written by Minister of Social Development Nokuzola Sisisi Tolashe