SA is losing the fight against child killings and abuse

THE brutal murder of an 11 monthold child allegedly by his mother, has brought into sharp focus the challenges that confront us as a country when it comes to violence against women and children.

As the country marked the beginning of Child Protection Week on Sunday, we were again reminded of the work that still needs to be done to protect the most vulnerable.

A Limpopo mother was arrested after allegedly beating her 11-monthold child to death. The incident happened in Halambani Tswinganani village on Sunday. According to the police, a 42 year-old woman locked herself and her baby inside a hut and started beating him. Community members heard the child’s cry for help and rushed to the house.

While the woman’s mental state at the time of the incident is unknown and will become the subject of a police probe, the exposure that children in this country have to violence, makes it impossible for us to break the circle. This child’s life has been cut short through no fault of his own.

Millions of other children like him have either been beaten up, or have watched their mothers being violated and abused in the most barbaric way. If the saying that “hurt people, hurt people” is anything to go by, there is no doubt that many of these abused children will go on to be perpetrators of similar violence as adults.

Shining the spotlight on the unacceptably high levels of violence against children should go beyond Child Protection Week, but should become our nation’s top priority. Protecting our children and bringing them up in an environment of love and kindness will make them better adults. It will make them adults who are vocal against violence wherever they witness it.

Unemployment in our country’s impoverished areas is worsening and poverty due to the Covid-19 lockdown is at an all time high. This situation has led to the increase in incidents of child labour. Police and local authorities should not turn a blind eye to this disturbing trend, as it robs children of their innocence.

When doing visible policing, law enforcement agencies should also be on the lookout for children who are loitering the streets or working in small businesses. Protecting our children against violence, child labour or any form of abuse should be our number one priority.