CHILDREN SPEAK UP AGAINST VIOLENCE AND EXPLOITATION AT LAUNCH OF CHILD PROTECTION MONTH

By Precious Mupenzi

•  ⁠The children of Thaba Nchu in the Free State have drawn up a memorandum urging the government to do more to protect them from sexual abuse and exploitation.
• ⁠The children used the launch of Child Protection Month to hand their memorandum to Social Development Minister Sisisi Tolashe.
• ⁠Receiving the memorandum, Minister Tolashe pledged that the government would act decisively. “Your voices have been heard. Your courage is leading this fight.”

Life in Thaba Nchu in the Free State moves between old traditions and modern challenges. It is a place where children from Lesotho cross into South Africa for schooling, young boys attend initiation schools, and families travel back and forth every day.

But behind the daily bustle, the community is grappling with serious problems like child abuse, trafficking, and violence that leave many children unsafe.

This has led to leaders from both countries recently signing a memorandum of understanding to ensure better protection for children on both sides of the border.

Today, on the official launch of Child Protection Month, children from this area decided to speak up.

They gathered at Refentse Primary School on 11 May 2025 and, just before the launch of the day’s main event, handed over a memorandum to Social Development Minister Sisisi Tolashe, urging the government to do more to protect them.

This year Child Protection Month calls on everyone to work together to end violence against children.

Thaba Nchu, east of the provincial capital of Bloemfontein, was deliberately chosen as the site for this year’s national commemoration to build on the foundations laid in 2023, when the former Minister of Social Development, together with the area’s traditional leadership, launched the SheDecides campaign.

SheDecides is a global movement that supports girls and women to decide freely and for themselves about their bodies, their lives, and their futures, focusing in particular on advancing sexual and reproductive health rights and tackling gender-based violence.

The Free State province, with its high number of teenage pregnancies and cases of child sexual abuse and exploitation, stands as a priority area demanding urgent, concerted efforts to safeguard children’s rights and well-being.

“We chose Thaba Nchu because it represents both the challenges we must confront and the progress we are committed to building upon,” said Cynthia Nyoni, social work policy manager at the Department of Social Development.

“It is here that we must intensify our efforts to address sexual and reproductive health, while fighting child sexual abuse and exploitation with every tool available.”

The memorandum handed to Minister Tolashe captured the urgent voices of children who have faced or witnessed violence. Their demands include stricter law enforcement against abusers, the refusal of bail to alleged perpetrators, stronger action against child trafficking, improved online safety, and better support systems for victims of sexual violence.

Their message comes as the nation reels from the recent rape and abuse of a three-year-old toddler in Virginia, Free State, allegedly at the hands of her father – a case that has shocked communities and amplified calls for swift justice and deeper reforms.

The Department of Social Development, in collaboration with the Free State provincial department, spent weeks engaging directly with children ahead of the launch, hosting dialogues to highlight the issues that matter most to them. Sexual violence, according to the department, emerged as the gravest and most widespread threat.

“These are not just demands; they are pleas for survival,” said Nyoni, during a briefing with political leaders at the historic Barolong Royal House earlier in the day.

“Child Protection Month and our 365 Days Programme are about more than awareness, they are about building systems that protect, empower, and serve our children every day.”

Nyoni outlined key objectives driving this year’s campaign:
•⁠ ⁠promoting the care and protection of children in line with their rights and best interests;
•⁠ ⁠mobilising communities to build social cohesion around child protection;
•⁠ ⁠scaling up prevention and early intervention programmes; and
•⁠ ⁠promoting the identification and reporting of suspected abuse cases.

“We are also empowering children with life skills and personal safety education, strengthening parents and caregivers to provide better care, and ensuring that services are accessible right where people live,” she added.

The children’s call to action also urged the government to clamp down on the sale of alcohol to minors, deliver justice swiftly to victims, and create safer digital environments free from exploitation.

They also advocated for inclusive support for children with disabilities and educational campaigns for parents on lawful, respectful discipline.

While the vibrant performances by local school choirs and traditional dancers at the event added colour to the proceedings, they could not mask the serious undertones: rising social ills such as substance abuse, trafficking, and violence continue to cast a shadow over the region’s youth.

Receiving the memorandum, Minister Tolashe pledged that the government would act decisively. “Your voices have been heard. Your courage is leading this fight. We will work, not only with our partners here in the Free State, but also across our borders to protect every child.”

As Child Protection Month unfolds under the banner “Working together to end violence against children”, the firm stance taken by Thaba Nchu’s children now sets the tone for a nationwide campaign calling for urgent, collective action.

The activities of the 365 Days Child Protection Programme are underway, with provinces, government departments, civil society, and key stakeholders conducting outreach across the country to amplify the call for child protection.