The Department of Social Development (DSD) has launched a nationwide child protection programme to combat child abuse, following alarming statistics revealing that more than 26 000 cases of child abuse and neglect were reported in the 2024/25 financial year.
DSD Minister Sisisi Tolashe launched the 2025 Child Protection Month and 365 Days child protection programme, aimed at curbing violence against children, in Thaba Nchu in the Free State on Sunday afternoon.
“This is the continuation of the work done in previous years, however with vigour and a sense of urgency to upscale interventions directed at ending violence against children, as our children are under siege, confronted with high levels of violence, despite progressive laws in place to protect them.
“As a country, we have made strides, putting various measures in place such as child protection laws, policies, strategies and programmes to ensure the protection of children from abuse; however, our children continue to experience violence,” Tolashe said in written remarks for the occasion.
The Minister revealed worrying statistics of child abuse, including that some 26 852 cases of child abuse and neglect were reported in the 2024/25 financial year.
“Cases of sexual abuse remained dominant in all provinces, with 9 859 cases throughout the country. Deliberate neglect is the second most prevalent in all provinces, with 9 485 cases, followed by physical abuse, with 3965 recorded cases and 595 cases of abandonment.
“Children falling pregnant as young as 10 to 14 years old is a concern and shows the deep-rooted evil against children, who are sexually abused and sexually exploited,” Tolashe said.
All hands of deck
President Cyril Ramaphosa has repeatedly called child abuse and gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) South Africa’s “second pandemic”.
The President has also reiterated government’s commitment to rooting it out. He has called on Cabinet to develop and implement a 90-day strategy with impactful programmes to address this sustained violence.
“In response to the President’s directive to Cabinet, the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security Cluster Ministers and senior officials convened a special sitting on the 14th of April 2025. This urgent meeting was convened in response to the alarming surge in GBVF incidents across the country.
“It culminated in the adoption of a 90-day acceleration programme to intensify the national response and fast track the implementation of the National Strategic Plan on GBVF. A dedicated GBVF priority committee has been established within the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure,” Tolashe said.
On a global scale, South Africa has also lent its voice to movements against child abuse.
Last year at the Global Ministerial Conference in Colombia, South Africa pledged to, in relation to ending violence against children:
Parent and caregiver support: Building capacity of parents and caregivers through parenting programmes and ensuring that the home environment is safe for children to help reduce the incidence of child abuse, neglect and exploitation, and stop the use of corporal and physical punishment.
Safe environments: Creating safety at home, schools and communities, including safety in digital platforms.
Child participation: Advocacy on children’s rights and engaging children in empowerment dialogues.
Response care, support and healing: Promotion of availability and accessibility of psycho-social support, trauma counselling, and raising awareness about available services.
Norms and values: Implement social and behaviour change programmes to instil positive norms and values, and working with traditional and religious leaders to address harmful cultural practices and patriarchal norms that normalise the abuse of children.
Collaboration and coordination with the African Union: Strengthen collaboration with SADC and the African Union in strengthening child protection systems and creating a better continent that safeguards the well-being of children.
Income and economic strengthening: Increase access to the Child Support Grant to reach all vulnerable children in South Africa, and working with Home Affairs to upscale birth registration to enable access to social security and the basket of social protection measures in place to cushion children.
“Implementing the above-mentioned breakthrough areas will ensure that we address the contributory factors to the high levels of violence against children, preventing its occurrence, whilst also responding to victims of violence,” Tolashe said.
The Minister emphasised, however, that government cannot root out the scourge on its own and requires citizen participation.
“[Government] alone cannot succeed in dealing with this monster that we are faced with, hence we appeal to parents, community, religious and traditional leaders to work closer in addressing social ills, harmful social, cultural and religious practices that are detrimental to the well-being of children, and change societal norms and values that perpetuate violence against children.
“I urge that we continue to scale up interventions at local ward level with all hands on deck to end violence against children, promote care and the protection of children, with a focus on changing societal norms and values that perpetuate violence against children,” Tolashe said.
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