Communities must stand against harmful religious practices

The Department of Justice and Correctional Services held a Child Protection Week awareness campaign at Forte High School, Dobsonville.

The campaign was conducted under the theme working together to protect children against harmful religious practices.

The department defines harmful religious practices as practices—under the mistaken idea that they are permitted, which lead persons who seek to use the belief or religion they hold to cause pain, fear, physical damage or the death of others.

Acting deputy director general of court services and guest speaker Tsietsi Malema said the phenomenon of harmful religious practices has been forcefully brought to attention by the reports of killings and torture of pupils in schools.

Malema said township schools are affected by these harmful religious practices.

“The protection of children is a collective duty of all persons in order to support the government’s efforts of taking care and protecting the vulnerability of children,” he said.

Malema said the campaign is a partnership by Department of Health, South African Police Services, Basic Education, Social Development, National Prosecuting Authority and faith based organisations.

This partnership seeks to encourage society to work together with government institutes to fight crime and harmful religious practices interactively.

“Government appeals to communities not to take the law into their own hands but to report these crimes or any other forms of crime to their nearest police station,” said Malema.

To report crime please contact 10111 or 08600 10111.