Gauteng MEC for social development rebukes child abandonment cases

Gauteng member of the executive council (MEC) for social development, Thuliswa Khawe, on Monday said there can be no justification for killing or abandoning children at birth.

A new-born baby was found abandoned in a squatter camp

Khawe was reacting to a report in a daily newspaper about the body of a newborn baby that was found wrapped in a woman’s skirt, near a stream at Roodekop Squatter Camp, Ekurhuleni on Friday. The body was found by a metal collector.

“I am concerned about the increase in several abandon cases in this area, last week another body of a newly born baby was found. The prevalence of these types of crimes committed against children is very shocking. This is saddening because it cannot be justified. We want to deter these kinds of criminal acts against children from reoccurring.”

Gauteng MEC for social development, Thuliswa Khawe

Gauteng: “We want to call on the public to stop these criminal acts”

The MEC said that the government had been working with non-governmental organisations, to make it possible for anyone with child-rearing problems to receive assistance.

“The Gauteng department of social development provides a home to unwanted babies. As the government, we also provide reproductive health services at primary health care facilities. We want to call on the public to stop these criminal acts against children.”

Gauteng MEC for social development, Thuliswa Khawe

Khawe added that anyone experiencing problems related to an unwanted pregnancy could contact the Gauteng department of social development. The MEC urged police to do all in their power to bring perpetrators of violence against children to book.

– African News Agency (ANA), Editing by Catherine Rice