Popular Mzansi Magic soapie, Isibaya, actress Zinhle Mabena says more needs to be done to protect the rights of children

“Children’s rights and human rights are not publicised as much as what they should be.” These were the views expressed by popular Mzansi Magic soapie, Isibaya, actress Zinhle Mabena, who was on hand to participate in the radical fun and games on offer at Constitutional Hill on 21 March.

With the understanding that children, who along with women, constitute a vulnerable proportion of society, the vibrant actress sought to play an active role in ensuring that the rights of children are ably advocated for.

Speaking to City Buzz on the occasion of the Children’s Rights Awareness Day event held at Con Hill and which coincided with national Human Rights Day celebrations, Mabena spoke passionately about the role public figures, like herself, ought to play in speaking for the voiceless, among others.

While the event was focused mainly on providing children from the inner city, including the areas of Berea and Yeoville, with a platform to engage in boisterous play in a safe and inclusive environment, Mabena expressed, “The law in South Africa should be so focused on children that people should think twice before [infringing] on their rights. I know [of] a household where every single person is an alcoholic, [in the midst of whom] there’s a three-year-old child, and as a result, the child’s well-being has been heavily compromised.”

The sultry TV star also alluded to the recent spate of child abductions, including that of a one-month-old Durban baby, citing that more proactive measures need to be implemented to avoid such blatant abuse of children’s rights. “We need to be a South Africa where people, especially adults [introspect heavily] and avoid abusing children [in any manner whatsoever]. However, we haven’t reached that stage yet,” she added.

“Children are our future and, as such, we need to [bring up] confident children who believe that the world is their oyster. However, not enough is being done, especially on the part of other public figures [celebrities]. But being in a space where I myself am a public figure, I feel I have a responsibility and a voice to ensure that the message is continuously spread.”

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