Thrilling football

SESHEGO – THE Seshego Victim Empowerment Programme (VEP) opted to use football to celebrate national Child Protection Week (CPW) on Friday at the Seshego Stadium.

Scores of primary school learners gathered at the stadium to participate in a thrilling four-team affair.

The tournament featured April Makgakga, Millennium, Luthuli and Dorothy Langa Primary Schools.

Dorothy Langa were crowned the overall champions after clobbering April Makgakga in a thrill-a-minute showdown.

Although the theme of CPW is: Working Together To Protect Children, the theme at Seshego was: Ke Moja.

A project manager at the Seshego VEP, Karabo Segolela, said they decided to organise a football competition to raise awareness on substance abuse among primary school learners.

CPW is commemorated in South Africa annually to raise awareness on the rights of children as articulated in the Children’s Act of 2005.

Segolela said: “children in South Africa live in a society with a Constitution that has the highest regard for children’s rights and for the equality and dignity of everyone. Protecting children from violence, exploitation and abuse is not only a basic value, but also an obligation clearly set out in Article 28 of the South African Constitution. The aim of Child Protection Week is to ensure the safety, well-being, care and protection of children through an integrated multi-disciplinary approach”.

Despite the best efforts of the South African government and civil society to protect children from child abuse, neglect and exploitation, many children still remain vulnerable.

Veronica Maila, social worker at VEP said: “reducing the high levels of violence against children is among South Africa’s most overwhelming tasks. Despite the country’s progressive child protection laws, policies and programmes preventing and addressing violence against children, it remains a major challenge”.

Delivering the keynote address, Lt Maserole Pheme of the Seshego police said: “we are celebrating this event at a time when reports are received daily of children being kidnapped, children going missing, being raped and even killed. What sort of society is cannot protect its children?”