Why is there only one name on the Child Protection Register?

Patricia Kopane, DA Spokesperson on Social Development
22 August 2011

Today, in a reply to a DA parliamentary question, the Minister of Social Development revealed that the Child Protection Register lists only one individual deemed unsuitable to work with children as a result of previous convictions for child abuse. A copy of the reply can be found here.

How is this possible?

Last year there were 4,000 reported cases of ill-treatment of children. And we know that South Africa is a world capital for ‘baby rape’ and the sexual abuse of minors - it is estimated that around 30,000 children per year are victims of sexual abuse.

In this context, it is difficult to believe that only one person in the entire country is prohibited from working with children. The Minister of Social Development, Bathabile Dlamini, has some explaining to do.

In particular, we want to know:

• How only one name is on the Child Protection Register when child abuse is so prevalent in our country
• Why it cost R 1,725, 849 to develop and maintain a Child Protection register that records a single name

It is essential that we have a Child Protection Register to safeguard our children from those who prey on them. But it is impossible to do so if the register is in a shambles. I will be calling for the Minister to appear before the parliamentary Portfolio Committee to explain herself.