The 2023 National Youth Day is commemorated under the theme: “Accelerating youth economic emancipation for a sustainable future” to remind the country of the challenges faced by the youth regarding access to economic opportunities.

This year marks the forty-seventh anniversary of this dark chapter in South African history, and it is amazing the impact this day has had beyond South Africa.  In 1991, the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the OAU instituted the Day of the African Child (DAC) in memory of the 16th of June 1976 student uprising in Soweto, South Africa. The DAC serves to commemorate these children and the brave action they took in defence of their rights. The DAC thus celebrates the children of Africa and calls for serious introspection and commitment towards addressing the numerous challenges facing children across the continent. Member States are thus encouraged to build-up to the realisation of the rights of children from the family/community level to national and international levels.

The Commission notes that despite progress made to addressing challenges faced by the youth, much remains to be done to ensure that the youth and children’s rights are realised by all in South Africa. The youth continue to experience human rights challenges such as high unemployment, access to education, substance abuse, crime and gender-based violence.
As one of the constitutional bodies mandated to protect human rights in the country, the Commission has embarked on several initiatives to address human rights challenges faced by children and the youth.
In commemoration of National Child Protection Week, the Commission visited Child and Youth Care Centres (CYCCS), schools in the Western Cape province and hosted a dialogue to promote and monitor the rights of children. Some of the concerns the children raised were gangsterism, lack of security, lack of family support, child abuse in the homes, teenage pregnancy, poor sanitation, child prostitution, poor drainage system which leads to their homes flooding, gender base violence, racism, load-shedding, alcohol and drug abuse. Another major concern raised was that once they turn 18 (technical adults), in most cases they feel neglected and thrown into the deep end of adulthood without any guidance.

Noting how vulnerable, unaccompanied and abandoned children are, the Commission conducted a monitoring visit to children on the move and some of the concerns were barriers to documentation, care and treatment practices and the family reunification process. The Commission has drafted a report of its findings and made recommendations to relevant government departments and is planning to share this report with them to ensure the rights of children.

To address the fact that so many children in the country are not documented – which is an enabling right to other rights, the Commission together with the Centre for Child Law developed a booklet titled How to get documented, a step-by-step guide to getting birth certificates, citizenship documents and immigration visas for children in South Africa. The booklet will be launched on the 20th of June as part of Youth Month.

The Commission continue to make interventions across the country to protect learners regarding access to basic education. In KwaZulu-Natal, the Commission recently intervened in a case where learners who are members of the Nazareth Baptist Church, better known as the Shembe Church, were barred from school after being compelled to cut their hair.  Learners are back at school after intervention by the Commission.

Today, in line with the theme of the Day of the African Child – the Rights of the Child in the digital environment, the Commission would be attending a child-led event organised by Save the Children South Africa. To share with the children the role of the Commission in safeguarding children online, the laws promoting guaranteeing children’s safety online, the benefits of the internet and its inherent dangers.

On the 22nd of June, Mpumalanga Provincial Office will host a dialogue on the right to healthcare under the theme Youth and Health in Mbombela.

More information to educate and empower children and the youth about their rights is available on the Children’s Rights website page which can be accessed on this link http://www.sahrc.org.za/childrensrights/index.php/en/

Ends –
Issued by the South African Human Rights Commission
Wisani Baloyi – Acting Communications Coordinator Tel: 081 016 8308 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Alucia Sekgathume Tel: 082 689 2364 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.