The tragic, heart-wrenching front page article featured in one the daily newspapers about two siblings found in a water-filled bucket near Krugersdorp highlights the growing need for emergency measures to protect our children.
“Baby Lucky managed to survive only because his twin brother held him above the water line. However, in recent weeks in Gauteng many children unfortunately have not been as lucky,” says Gauteng DA spokesperson on Social Development, Hendrika Kruger.
The report comes on the back of equally tragic and heart-wrenching stories that have ripped through the hearts of the people of Gauteng recently.
The DA calls on Gauteng Social Development MEC Nandi Mayathula-Khoza to outline emergency measures to address the growing scourge of violence against children and abandoned babies in the province.
“It is imperative that the MEC set up a task team with the Departments and MECs for Community Safety and Education to formulate a coherent strategy to protect the children of Gauteng.
“It is very sad that the gift of life is disregarded to the extent that children are thrown away in such large numbers.
“Drug and alcohol abuse are identified factors that cause abandonment, as well as the fact that some new mothers cannot cope with the responsibilities of a newborn.
“Mothers need to know that there are alternatives to abandoning their babies, including the ‘hole in the wall’ centres where a baby can be left safely.”
