LET the children rule, or at least have a proper say in the running of the country, said the Children's Parliament.
It said that children make up the majority of people in Mzansi, but they are also the most disadvantaged members of society.
Speaking to Daily Sun, Children’s Parliament speaker Khazimla Adams said that needs to change.
The 16-year-old from the Eastern Cape said the Children’s Parliament's mandate was to make sure that the government recognises the youth and includes them and their ideas when making decisions.
The Parliament is held biannually and includes representatives from all the country's provinces.
Khazimla said as the majority in South Africa, kids need to be participating in the amending of the Constitution.
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“We are the future of South Africa, and we need to get the experience on how to run the country as young as we are. I am suggesting that the government of today needs to be making space for us to be accommodated or be put in place of power,” she said.
Khazimla said the low voting turnout by young people showed that the government still has the "upper hand" against children.
In the coming months, the Children's Parliament will be coming up with plans to get more young people to vote in 2024.
Khazimla said she also proposes that the government should allow all grade 11 pupils to get their IDs so they can also vote.
She said the Children’s Parliament has its work cut-out as there are so many social ills that are facing young people and the government is too slow in implementing solutions.
“The number of children being killed in our country daily is high. Children are affected by GBV they face in their homes, even substance abuse among kids is high.
“Our government knows about all this, yet they are not doing anything. We want that to change,” said Khazimla.
