Office of the Premier of the Western Cape: Ebrahim Rasool

On Monday 17 March 2008, at a Human Rights Day celebration organized by the Office of the Public Protector, Adv. Lawrence Mushwana, the Premier of the Western Cape, Mr Ebrahim Rasool, addressed the theme of Protecting the Rights of the Child.

The Premier expressed his concern that not only are children’s rights being violated, but often children and young people are themselves guilty of violating the rights of others.

The Premier said: “Children must not only be the beneficiaries of the Human Rights of our Constitution, but they must also be taught to live out the Constitution. Children must be protected from neglect, violence, rape, abuse and inequality. Too many children in the Western Cape suffer from such violations. I am deeply saddened that a report on violence at schools show that at schools, children are beaten with fists, suffer biting, harmed with sticks, knives and even guns, are subjected to sexual abuse and rape”.

The Premier continued: “Yet, the inescapable fact is that most of this is suffered at the hands of other children. Children are hurting, abusing and violating other children. So while we speak of protecting the rights of children, we must speak truthfully and face the fact that some children are not innocent. Some children are capable of causing great damage because their minds are taken over by alcohol and Tik”.

The Premier challenged the audience to ensure that parents and teachers not create negative stereotypes which are acted out by children. “Children act out what they see at home. If they see disputes settled violently at home, they do the same at schools. If they see women or girls treated with disrespect, they repeat such treatment to girls at schools”.

“This means that not only must society continue to make every effort to protect the rights of our children, but we must also protect society from children who are capable of such violence and abuse. Younger children face violence from older ones, smaller ones from bigger ones, and girls are vulnerable to a variety of abusive practices from boys”.

In announcing the intended establishment of a Maximum Security Youth Detention Facility in the Drakenstein, the Premier said:”It is absolutely regrettable that any government must consider such a facility and I do so with a heavy heart, but we will be derelict if we do not act on those young people who do violence to others. We are determined that this centre will be finished in this coming financial year, and that its orientation will be to rehabilitate such youngsters - whether from drugs or social deviancy - and not punitive. We cannot put such children in prison, because they will become hardened criminals. But until such children are rehabilitated, we cannot allow them to be a danger unto themselves, their families and society”.

All enquiries should be directed to Shado Twala 083 640 6771

Visit the WCED website: http://wced.wcape.gov.za

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