SPECIAL COINCIDENCE OF CHILD PROTECTION MONTH LAUNCHING ON MOTHERS’ DAY HAS SYMBOLISM

by Relebohile Ramabitsa

• The coincidence of Child Protection Month being launched on Mothers’ Day stresses the importance of the mother and child bond.
• ⁠ ⁠Parents, some who neglect their duties and others guilty of abusing their children, are expected to participate in some Child Protection Month activities.
  – “A re tlameng ditjale, bo mme, re lwaneng hobane ba rona ba tshepile ho rona” — “Let us tighten our belts, mothers, and fight on, for our children are depending on us.”
• Free State Premier, Mme MaQueen Letsoha-Mathae called for a united front.

As the country launched commemoration of Child Protection Month, MEC for Social Development, Mathabo Leeto, addressed children and parents, underscoring the critical role everyone plays in protecting children.

“As we commemorate Child Protection Month, we are also observing Mother’s Day — because you cannot separate a mother from her child,” said MEC Leeto.

She stressed that safeguarding children is tantamount to safeguarding the nation, reminding the audience that every human being was once a child.

MEC Leeto called for collective responsibility in child protection, noting that upcoming programmes will involve more parents, particularly those who are neglecting their parental duties. However, she was careful to acknowledge that not all parents are neglectful; some, she pointed out, are guilty of abusing their own children.

“Parents need to understand that money is not everything — but their children are their everything,” she emphasised.

Before concluding her address, MEC Leeto warmly welcomed the Free State Premier, Mme MaQueen Letsoha-Mathae, to also speak to the children and parents gathered.

Premier Letsoha-Mathae began by extending heartfelt Mother’s Day wishes to all the women present, applauding the remarkable women of the Free State for their contributions to society.

She then turned her attention to the persistent challenges faced by women: “As women, we are confronted with numerous challenges every day. Our very existence is constantly used against us. There has never been a time in this country when women have come under such an attack as we are witnessing today.”

She continued, “Women have become prisoners in their own homes, bearing the brunt of the moral decay in our society. It is unthinkable that, in this day and age, there are still those who abuse women and treat them as mere objects for their own use.”

Concluding her remarks, Premier Letsoha-Mathae urged parents to stand together in the fight to protect women and children: “A re tlameng ditjale, bo mme, re lwaneng hobane ba rona ba tshepile ho rona” — “Let us tighten our belts, mothers, and fight on, for our children are depending on us.