New fathers legally entitled to 10 days paid paternity leave

WORKING fathers will now have more time to spend with their newborns as the law allowing paid paternity leave kicked in yesterday, aimed at building better family relations.

Fathers will now be entitled to 10 consecutive days of parental leave, which also applies when an adoption order is granted.

One parent will be given adoption leave of two months, the other 10 days. Championing the law was ACDP MP Cheryllyn Dudley, who said it had taken five years to get to this point.

“This is a stepping stone in building stronger family units in South Africa.

“The 21st-century dads are fantastic and take to fatherhood with ease compared to generations before them,” she said.

Dudley said this triumph also had a lot to do with empowering women as childcare responsibilities were shared.

“These 10 days allow a mother to receive the help she needs from the baby’s father. It will also allow her some time to find herself as she gets into her role as a mother,” Dudley said.

In 2014, Cape Town financial manager Hendri Terblanche submitted a petition to the National Council of Provinces calling for biological and adoptive fathers to get 10 days paternity leave.

He also approached members of Parliament to encourage them to draft a bill for consideration by the National Assembly. Terblanche believed that three days’ family responsibility leave did not sufficiently allow for fathers to bond with their newborns and assist their partners.

When his twins were born three months prematurely and had to be kept in the hospital for almost four months, Terblanche saw fathers were only present for the first three days of their babies’ lives because they had to return to work. He believed it was insufficient and started the petition.

The ACDP then tabled a private member’s bill.

Cosatu yesterday welcomed paid paternity leave, saying it was historic and a long-fought victory for workers, parents, children and families.

Cosatu parliamentary co-ordinator Matthews Parks said the paid parental leave would also cover mothers of children born through surrogacy.