MOPANI PARENTS LEAD THE CONVERSATION ON CHILD PROTECTION

By Nonhlakanipho Masola

• In Limpopo’s Mopani District, community members are reclaiming their role in protecting children and calling for stronger support from government and each other.
• At a community dialogue held in Lebaka, parents and guardians spoke openly about the daily risks children face and the urgent need to shift from silence to action.
• ⁠Their stories reflect the growing movement to ensure child protection is not just a government responsibility, but a shared community duty.

In a country where violence against children continues to shake communities to their core, the call for local action echoed powerfully at the Thabo Mbeki Lebaka Community Hall today. Parents, caregivers, and guardians gathered in Mopani District, Limpopo, for a community dialogue hosted by the Department of Social Development, aimed at strengthening child protection at the grassroots level.
The dialogue formed part of the Department’s intensified 365 Days Programme of Action aligned with Child Protection Month activities, placing emphasis on community-driven solutions to prevent abuse and safeguard children’s rights.
Speaking at the session, Ms Kgatla Tebogo, a concerned parent, underscored the importance of prevention and education in minimising the risk of sexual abuse. “We need more visible policing in our areas. Parents must stop hiding incidents of sexual abuse within families. We need to speak out, seek help, and take action,” she said.
Tebogo further stressed the importance of educating children about the different forms of abuse; sexual, emotional, and physical, so that they can recognise inappropriate behaviour and know when to report it. “We must also be careful of what our children are exposed to at home. They should not be watching age-inappropriate television or hearing conversations that could confuse or harm them,” she added. “And we must teach them not to ask for things from strangers as it puts them at risk.”
From another perspective, Ms Mihloti Mkazi, whose child attends Kheale Secondary School, expressed concern about the reality many teenage girls face within their homes and peer groups. “Some of our children are being abused physically and sexually by those closest to them. This cannot continue,” she said.
Mkazi called on the Department to intensify its school-based outreach. “We need social workers in schools talking to learners, listening to them, and understanding what they’re going through. Only then can we respond meaningfully, together with the police,” she urged.
Echoing the need for prevention, Ms Kediboni Mokhalaka, a guardian, focused on environmental and safety concerns that make children vulnerable. “Parents should never send children to shops late at night. That’s when they are most vulnerable,” she cautioned.
She raised alarm over the poor road infrastructure in the area, noting that many children walk long distances through isolated, bushy areas to reach their schools, often without transport options. “We are placing our children in danger every day. We need community patrols to walk children to and from school safely,” she recommended. Mokhalaka also warned against the presence of minors in adult spaces. “Underage children have no business in taverns and nightclubs. As parents, we need to be stricter about this.”
The dialogue reaffirmed that child protection starts at home and is everyone’s responsibility, from parents and schools to government and neighbours. By empowering families with information and a platform to speak out, the Department of Social Development is helping shift the focus from response to prevention.