By: Kelvin Chiringa
The Kavango East region will be this year’s host to commemorate the historical Day of the African Child, whose theme centres on eliminating harmful practices affecting young people.
The day was instituted by the then Organisation of African Unity (OAU) in honour of the many students that perished and survived the Soweto massacres in 1976 South Africa.
However, the annual commemorations, which happen on 16 June, have broadened the focus to include virtually everything that affects Africa’s young population.
Gender minister Doreen Sioka speaking from Geneva said Namibia must continue to strive to inform children of their rights.
“My deputy will be the key speaker, and she will address this issue. On the same day, there will be a launch of a study done by the gender ministry and UNICEF. When it comes to rape, it’s a crime to rape a child, and once this is perpetrated, I have no wish even for that person to be taken out of prison,” she said.
Lawmaker Maximilliant Katjimune said the day should see emphasis placed on the scourge of youth unemployment.
Katjimune, a new entrant to the National Assembly, is also central in the ensuing debate on the motion dealing with the same issue brought by his counterpart, Inna Hengari.
“We commemorate the gallant children of South Africa on that day when they took to the streets in Orlando East in Soweto and protested against a discriminatory system. We must get it from them that we are still fighting a generational challenge regarding a plethora of issues. One of those issues that is on top of the agenda for us young people of today is youth unemployment,” he said.
The Swapo Party Youth League (SPYL) Secretary for Education, Hofni Ipinge, said the day should bring to the fore the plight of children scrounging for a scant living in the streets.
He also said the day must see the productive discussion on matters to do with abortion and child trafficking.
“We have been losing kids in Namibia. Some of them have been kidnapped, raped, and some beaten, and we have kids in the streets that are begging for money from people driving there. This shows us that we still have a lot to do through the ministry of gender to eliminate all harmful practices affecting children.”
“We have a lot of orphans not being taken care of and those being neglected by their parents. We have cases of mothers killing their own young ones, burying them and dumping them in toilets. We are not only talking about what happened to the children that got massacred in South Africa,” he said.
Landless People’s Movement’s (LPM), Duminga Ndala, said there is a need to strengthen security and safety systems for children on the continent.
“We should all come together and come up with policies that speak to safety and security. We must protect children from early marriages due to poverty and societal pressure as well as cultural practices. Children must grow up in an environment where they will be able to thrive and grow the African continent.
Ingrid Husselmann, the children’s ombudsman, highlighted that even though a legal framework prohibits harmful cultural practices, it means nothing if not implemented properly.
She said for the law to be more effective, it must be accompanied by information and awareness-raising, as well as involving the communities within which children grow up.
“Because of their nature, harmful cultural practices are not very well known in Namibia. If practices are being hidden from mainstream societies, then it’s difficult to be aware of them,” she said.
