Take collective responsibility – blaming is not the answer
WITH reference to the lead, “No more empty promises, Minister” (Cape Times, June26), the newspaper reports on the anger expressed by Eastridge residents, who are of the opinion that the police are to blame for the death of yet another child in their community.
Angry residents consider Minister Bheki Cele’s visit an insult as they have long been requesting the assistance of the police to protect women and children in Mitchells Plain communities.
The devastating loss of another child raises many questions that we, as South Africans, need to consider. Who is to blame for the scourge of murder, rape and abuse of women and children in our beloved country?
We can liken the high levels of murder of women and children in South Africa to a country at war. South Africa is at war with itself.
While effective policing and sufficient resources are necessary to address the unacceptably high rape and murder rate in South Africa, this responsibility does not rest exclusively with the police and the government.
Every South African has a critical role to play and, as a nation, we must take collective responsibility for the rape and murder of our children.
It is well known that South Africa’s murder rate remains one of the highest in the world, and that the safety of women and children is seriously compromised as a result.
As parents and community members, the onus is on us to be even more vigilant and ensure that our children are safe and not left to wander the streets unsupervised.
There is an African proverb that says “it takes a village to raise a child”. In a South African context this proverb is inextricably linked to the value or principle of “Ubuntu” and the belief that no one is an island and that we should care for the welfare of others as we do for ourselves.
Nowhere is this more critical than protecting our children as a collective, and taking collective responsibility.
We cannot look to the police or the government to assume this responsibility on our behalf. It is our responsibility and we need to assume it collectively.
Shocked community members refer to the perpetrators of crimes against our children as “monsters”.
In Nicro’s work with those who have committed murder, rape and other atrocities, the organisation has found that in the majority of cases, these perpetrators were exposed to severe trauma, abuse and neglect during childhood. As they were not protected and nurtured as children, these “monsters” who become adults who hurt others, were, in effect, created by those who failed them.
Stop the talking, stop the blaming, stop funding fanfares to celebrate Child Protection Week and similar events which have no lasting impact on the problem. Pool all the resources at our disposal to create safe havens for children, especially those who come from homes that cannot afford to nurture or care for them.
Let us work as a collective to create an environment in which children are nurtured and protected, and have the opportunity to thrive and reach their full potential.
Our chances of success will be so much greater if we work as a collective and take collective responsibility. Soraya Solomon Chief executive Nicro