KZN MEC condemns ‘shockwave’ child porn video, warns parents

KwaZulu-Natal Social Development MEC Nonhlanhla Khoza has condemned the circulation of a child pornography video on social media.

On Monday the MEC said: “We are really taken aback by this abhorrent conduct. The circulation of the video of this nature is bound to affect the lives of the children in the video. It is even more sickening that adults are behind the circulation of the video, as these are people on whom we rely to stem the tide of social ills bedevilling our country.”

She has asked the community to help the department identify the children on the video so they can offer them psycho-social support.

The 30-second video depicts three children engaged in a sexual act and has been shared on many social media platforms including Facebook and WhatsApp.

Khoza has asked people to stop circulating the video, to ensure that not many children are not exposed to it. She said parents need to play an active role in their children’s lives by ensuring that they monitor the content children access on the internet and on social media.

“This horrifying video of three children engaged in sexual activity should remind parents to have access to the gadgets used by their children. Parents should not let children out of their sight to avoid such issues. It is our responsibility to protect and teach our children about what needs to be done in life.”

Sharing child pornography is against the law, she warned that anyone found guilty of such could face jail time.

“The laws prohibit the showing of pornography to children, using children in child pornography, compelling children to witness sexual acts and indecent exposure to children. Anyone found to be a source of the video should face prosecution.

“Everyone should be involved in fighting sexual violence and vicious attacks directed at children. This video has sent shockwaves to all of us and has raised concerns about the safety of our children. As we wrap up child protection week, such a video should remind us of our responsibility as parents,” said the MEC.

She added that the child unit within the department to work closely with the law enforcement to deal with the matter.

(Compiled by Sandisiwe Mbhele)

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