Former president Nelson Mandela once declared there can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children.

There is no doubt that when Madiba said these words, he knew very well about the special space that children occupy in society. He knew that children are the foundation on which the future of any nation is built.

One of the noteworthy tenets of the constitution our country adopted in 1996 is the protection of the rights of children. This week the country marks the 2022 Child Protection Week from May 29 to June 5 under the theme: "Let us Protect Children during Covid-19 and beyond".

Child Protection Week is a national campaign directed at preventing and responding to violence against children, abuse, neglect and exploitation. It also seeks to educate society about the dangers of commercial sexual exploitation, trafficking, child labour, and harmful traditional practices that harm children.

Section 28 of the Bill of Rights in the constitution states that “every child has the right to basic nutrition, shelter, healthcare and social services”. It also covers the right of children to be protected from maltreatment, neglect, abuse or degradation.

Child Protection Week affords all of us an opportunity to reflect on a number of things. One of the questions we have to ask ourselves as a society is whether we have effectively used these ideals espoused in the constitution to shape our approach to child protection.

We may have the best constitution and legislation to protect the rights of children; however, no legal document or policy can remove the responsibility of society towards children.  Jailing perpetrators of violence against children must be done. But critically, it is how we prevent these crimes from happening. By speaking out against abuse, neglect and exploitation of children, we can prevent child abuse from taking place in the first place.

Just a few days ago, we read in shock detailed news reports about a muthi-related murder of a six-year-old old child in Mpumalanga. The body of little Bontle Mashiyane was found decomposed, with some body parts missing. It is suspected that the missing body parts were taken to be used for muthi purposes. Three suspects appeared in the KaBokweni magistrate’s court in Mpumalanga on charges of rape, murder, kidnapping and dealing in human tissue. Unfortunately, this hair-raising ordeal that this child suffered is one of a number of harrowing cases of abuse that are carried out against children in SA.

In the midst of all these abuse cases, we must continue to applaud the good work of the criminal justice system. Over the years, it has demonstrated in several cases that child abusers do face the might of the law.

In March this year, the family violence, child protection and sexual offences units in Kwazulu-Natal arrested 259 suspects for rape, kidnapping, child abduction and sexual exploitation. The office said 26 suspects were convicted and nine were sentenced to life imprisonment. Children and women abusers are thrown in jails across SA every day. While convicting and jailing perpetrators is one form of sending a message to would-be abusers, communities need to be relentless in the fight to stop the scourge of child abuse by adopting a pro-active stance.

It is also possible that the protection and access to children’s rights cannot take place if children’s rights are not known and promoted. It is for this reason that everyone needs to participate in campaigns such as national Child Protection Week. 

More importantly, as society, let us take full responsibility for the safety and well-being of the children. Let us promote a safe environment for them. Any incidents of abuse or violation of children’s rights should be reported at the nearest police station.

• Williams is director-general of Government Communication and Information System and cabinet spokesperson.