Minister queried over child register
2013-03-13 22:34
Cape Town - Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini
battled on Wednesday to explain why there were fewer than 500 offenders' names
on the Child Protection Register (CPR).
Responding to a question in the National Assembly, she
told MPs the names of people convicted of crimes against children were entered
into the register.
The CPR was established in 2005. It requires that people
"deemed unsuitable to work with or have contact with children" have
their names added to the list, to ensure children are protected.
DA MP Mike Waters was not satisfied with Dlamini's reply.
In a follow-up question to the minister, he told the
House that the quality of her reply "reflects the quality of the
information on the Child Protection Register: absolutely non-existent".
The Children's Act states that a person could be found
unsuitable to work with children if convicted of "murder, attempted
murder, rape, indecent assault and assault with intent to do grievous bodily
harm with regards to children".
Waters said it was clear the intention of the act was to
ensure "automatic findings of unsuitability and immediate placement [of
names] on the Child Protection Register".
But this was not happening.
"Minister, you and your department continue to fail
our children by ensuring that all those guilty of these heinous crimes do not
appear on the [register]. That's why we have under 500 names on this list. Can
you explain to this House why this is the case?"
Dlamini, to loud heckling from opposition benches, said
government believed "we are doing our best to tackle the issues of
children".
The protection of children was not about "having
laws and laws and laws". It was about ensuring communities took care of
children, "because it's not only the responsibility of government to look
after children".
She said her department was trying to link the CPR with a
register maintained by the department of justice.
"Because that is where the problem is."
A warning to government
Dlamini warned that government had to be "very
careful" about the names placed on the register, because the state could
be sued if this information was not correct.
At this point, DA Chief Whip Watty Watson leaped to his
feet and called on Speaker Max Sisulu to compel Dlamini to explain why there
were less than 500 names on the CPR.
"With respect, the minister is not answering the...
question. She's engaging in debate. Please ask her to answer [it]," Watson
said.
Sisulu responded: "The Speaker can't dictate how a
minister answers questions."
In August last year, the DA filed a complaint with the SA
Human Rights Commission (SAHRC), claiming the government had failed to
implement the CPR.
Earlier this year, SAHRC spokesperson Isaac Mangena said
the complainant had alleged there was a failure by government "to properly
implement the CPR in terms of populating and updating the register..."
According to one Cape Town newspaper on Wednesday,
"crimes against minors [are] on the rise".
In a front-page report, under the headline "Child
Rape Outrage", it referred to the "unnerving increase in the number
of child rapes".
- SAPA
