Child abuse surge raises alarm bells in KwaDukuza and Tongaat

KwaDukuza and Tongaat are experiencing an alarming surge of child negligence cases, raising alarms among child welfare organisations.

Senior social work manager at KwaDukuza Child Welfare, Karnegie Govender, revealed to the Courier that they receive daily calls, primarily from schools, reporting child abuse incidents.

She said since the beginning of this year, they have dealt with 12 cases of sexual abuse, 52 cases of child neglect, seven of physical abuse and 10 cases of abandoned children.

Govender highlighted that while the numbers fluctuate each month, certain trends can be observed.

Ironically, during child protection month when awareness programmes are rolled out in communities and schools, the number of reported cases tends to rise.

She expressed serious concern over the tendency of parents, particularly mothers, who leave their young children unattended without basic necessities such as food and care.

“We deal with many cases where children as young as five are left to take care of their younger siblings for long periods of time,” said Govender.

She is especially concerned about sexual abuse cases remaining consistently high in contrast to fluctuations in other categories.

The prevalence of gross neglect significantly increases the vulnerability of children to sexual predators, as they are left alone for prolonged periods.

Social worker and general manager at the Tongaat Child and Family Welfare Society, Jo Moodley, said they receive reports of child sexual abuse and other forms of abuse at least once or twice a week, with neglect being the most common.

They handled at least seven cases of rape since the beginning of the year.

In response to these alarming statistics, the Rise Up Movement of Josha Daniel recently collaborated with the South African Police Services to host a child protection awareness campaign at Tinley Manor Primary School in Etete.

The campaign focused on educating pupils about child safety, sexual offences, bullying and teen pregnancy.

Daniel said during such campaigns pupils have opened up about sensitive experiences, including abuse, LGBT issues and sextortion.

According to him, poverty in disadvantaged communities plays a significant role in the exploitation of children, pointing out that child labour must also be considered as abuse.

“Children are forced to contribute to their households and the upkeep of homes. There is also a growing trend of children from poor households joining cults in search of financial freedom or material needs,” Daniel said.

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