The Department of Social Development will, in partnership with the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund and Save the Children South Africa, host the eighth Nelson Mandela Children’s Parliament (NMCP) on Friday in Limpopo.
Social Development spokesperson Justice Malapane said the event will be held under the theme, “A Mandela in Every Generation: Amplifying the Voices of Children”,.
He said this year’s parliament aims to encourage children to exchange ideas about children’s rights to safety and protection as enshrined in the Constitution and the Children’s Act.
"In 1995, South Africa, under the leadership of the late President Nelson Mandela, ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Children." he said.
Malapane said the government works to ensure that the safety and protection of children was prioritised in policies of Government and in South Africa.
This year, the programme of the Nelson Mandela Children’s Parliament will celebrate the life and commitment of Nelson Mandela to the children of South Africa by giving children an opportunity to participate in policy development.
He also said the Children’s Parliament will be directly linked with the development of the new National Plan of Action for Children (NPAC) and provide inputs for the National Child Participation Framework.
Some of the topics that the children will be given an opportunity to discuss include ending child marriages, the banning of corporal punishment in the home which is expected to come be the court on November 29.
He said among the delegates in the Children’s Parliament will be children from underprivileged and previously-disadvantaged backgrounds and those who have been deprived opportunities to learn about the country’s legislation.
The Children’s Parliament forms part of Social Development month activities.
