Children’s safety campaign hosted to educate parents and children
The None In Five Campaign's main objective is to empower parents and children with information, knowledge and strategies that can save lives.
Following last year’s harrowing stats on child murders and kidnappings across the country, the None in Five campaign seeks to fight the scourge of crimes against children.
As a result, the campaign started lobbying the South African Police Service and various departments to share the latest information with schools, communities and parents to keep children safe.
The 4km walk took place at Mushroom Park on April 2, with about 100 people in attendance.
The aim was also to bring information to parents on critical aspects that deal with child safety.
According to crime statistics for 2022, a total of 558 children were murdered in South Africa between April and September 2022.
This means on average, three children are murdered in South Africa every day.
Research conducted by the Medical Research Council found that alarmingly, out of all child murder cases, only 3,8% of perpetrators are strangers to the victims.
Neli Manzi, founder of the None in Five campaign said, “We believe when you want to give information, it is very important to do it in a format that is relaxed and engaging. We are not just here to walk for fitness but to walk for a change.”
“We are grateful for our sponsor Rescue 786. They made a difference in keeping our children safe throughout the walk”, said Manzi.
Sandton Police spokesperson, Captain Bheki Xulu, said they have noticed a 200% increase in kidnappings around Gauteng.
He added that the recently released SAPS stats show that three children are murdered daily in South Africa, and this [campaign] seeks to capture parents and children’s attention on how to keep children safe.
“The middle class and the rich are being targeted for these crimes. After years of the media highlighting the plight of children, South Africa still has not seen an end to violence against children and the Parents and Children Child Protection Walk is a bold initiative,” said Xulu.
The next walk will take place around May across Gauteng province and other provinces like Western Cape and Mpumalanga.
Related Article:
https://www.citizen.co.za/sandton-chronicle/329000/sandton-business-community-forum/
https://www.citizen.co.za/sandton-chronicle/328332/safety-tips-for-the-community/
