Stop child abuse

SEDIBENG.- Child abuse is intolerable and should not occur under any circumstance. The video on Ninnies’ Neuron Nursery School, a child care facility in Carletonville exposed of gross and disturbing violence against toddlers, some few months ago.

Images of child battery at the hands of a ruthless child-minder flashed throughout social media and attracted a euphoria of concerns and condemnation. It discovered that the facility was not properly registered and that its minders had received no formal training in child care and other forms of acceptable child rearing.

Further reports indicated that the abuse had been happening under the nose of a principal that claimed ignorance when probed; an act of gross negligence as expressed by departmental authorities. A parent whose child had fallen victim said she had repeatedly warned the principal of her suspicions of abuse after noticing withdrawal signs and persistent crying of her otherwise bubbly daughter.

The parent ultimately withdrew her child and registered her at another facility in the neighbourhood following the principal’s denial and suspected complicity in the matter.

The issue of compliant and registration came to spotlight. This raised eyebrows, but what is also critical is the human nature of those that are entrusted to take care of our children, whether at home or in child development centre. One is left to wonder whether children in legally run institutions do not experience any form of abuse. As individuals and society how do we deal with these shenanigans? I mean this case of Ninnies’ Neuron Nursery School, there’s a practitioner who is beating up these children and then there’s a the one who is taking the video. The question that comes to mind is why was the one taking a video not reporting this matter, is she innocent because she’s not actually doing the beating?

In my own view, the human elements and interpersonal skills are important, but is something that one learns from training or it has to do with the manner in which we are brought up? I honestly don’t know. However, I believe that as society we have an obligation to create an environment that is free of all forms of abuse, we need to endorse the spirit of Ubuntu by ensuring that our children live a country that is safe. We need to report abuse to the authorities and ensure that those that commit this heinous crime have no place to hide.

Busi Kheswa writes from the Gauteng Social Development