Sameera Casmod | sameerac@radioislam.co.za
15 February 2024 | 10:40 a.m. SAST
2 minute read

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The United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) has issued a call to the South African government, urging them to uphold the rights of children amidst rising living costs and potential budget cuts. This recommendation follows the committee’s recent meeting in Geneva with a South African government delegation to assess progress in enhancing the welfare of children in the country.

The committee, comprising 18 independent experts, oversees the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, to which South Africa is a signatory. Under this convention, countries must regularly report to the committee on their efforts to advance children’s rights and address any impediments to progress.

Lucy Jamieson, representing the Children’s Institute at the University of Cape Town, discussed the critical issues facing children in South Africa on Radio Islam International. Despite the nation’s legal commitments and promises, children continue to grapple with pervasive challenges such as poverty, violence, inadequate education, and stunted growth.

“The UN has said, when it comes to budget cuts, we’ve actually got to look at implementation of children’s rights and make sure that children are not affected by the budget cuts and the prevailing and adverse economic consequences,” Jamieson said.

Of particular concern are the implications of budget cuts on essential services for children. While the South African government reassured the UN committee that children’s services would be safeguarded, reality paints a different picture. The National Treasury’s announcement of significant budget cuts across all departments raises doubts about the government’s ability to prioritise children’s needs amid broader fiscal constraints.

Civil society, integral to the protection of children’s rights, has been actively engaged in the process. Although the window for submissions to the UN committee has closed, avenues remain open for concerned individuals or organisations to report violations of children’s rights to local authorities or the African Union.

Calls have also been made to the South African government to protect children from all forms of violence, abuse, and neglect.

Jamieson explained the interrelationship between potential budget cuts and the extremely high levels of violence against children in South Africa.

“And it’s not just so many children are affected. The types of violence that they face; crime in their community, violence in the home, gender-based violence, sexual abuse, violence at school. It’s not just that they face and experience this range and a lot of violence, but that violence is really intense. It’s severe forms of violence,” Jamieson noted.

She explained that budgetary constraints hinder the delivery of vital support services, particularly in violence-stricken communities. Many of these services are provided by non-governmental organisations (NGOs) reliant on government subsidies for funding. However, the budgetary allocation process prioritises staff salaries, leaving limited resources for NGO subsidies, Jamieson explained.

The recent national wage agreement increased government salaries by over 7%. Provinces are required to cover these increased costs, resulting in a diminished pool of funds for organisations operating in vulnerable and violence-prone communities, such as those in the Western Cape. “So there’s less money to provide those supports to stop violence from happening and less money to provide protection services after children have experienced violence,” Jamieson said.

Listen to the full interview on Sabaahul Muslim with Moulana Sulaimaan Ravat here.