Moms for money
2003-05-26 21:21
Pretoria - Bridgitte Mabandla, minister of housing, spoke out on Monday against teenage girls who want to abuse the improved child grant payments by falling pregnant.
Mabandla, presently also acting minister of social development, said at the launch of Child Protection Week in Pretoria on Monday that the number of children who benefit from these grants have increased from 60 000 in 1999 to 2.7 million.
"We have received reports that the improved child grants are leading to teenage pregnancies," Mabandla said.
"We want to appeal to families, communities and society to educate our children that teenage pregnancies are not acceptable.
"Children must ensure that they receive an education and are ready to have children as adults," Mabandla said.
She encouraged communities to register children for grants and to use Child Protection Week as an opportunity to build on the rights of children as they are entrenched in the constitution.
Mabandla said government has improved the position of children tremendously since 1994 - especially by establishing the socio-economic rights of children such as the right to education, health, housing and social upliftment.
Comprehensive legislation on childcare will create stronger frameworks to combat crimes against children such as rape and neglect, Mabandla said.
She said Child Protection Week was an opportunity for a renewed fight against these abuses, with the understanding that poor socio-economic conditions are contributing to this problem.
Mabandla committed the government to expand social services, building on President Thabo Mbeki's announcement that child grants will now be paid until the age of 14. About 3.2 million children will benefit from the extension.