Failing our kids: Parliament asks South Africans to stop ignoring the war on their children
· Citizen
The Portfolio Committee on Social Development is urging every South African to take a stand against child abuse as the country observes National Child Protection Week. .
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The national initiative runs from Friday, 29 May 2026, until 5 June 2026 under the theme: “Working Together to End Violence Against Children”.
Committee officials stress that South Africa cannot continue to look away while children face abuse from the very people they know and trust.
A deepening national crisis
According to the committee, during the 2022/2023 financial year, authorities recorded more than 43 000 rape cases across South Africa. Approximately 10 590 of those recorded cases involved children under the age of 18.
However, research indicates that fewer than 4% of rape survivors ever report their abuse to the police. Of the few cases that eventually reach a courtroom, only 8.6% result in a guilty verdict.
This crisis impacts extremely young children, as evidenced by the fact that nearly 700 babies were born to girls aged just nine and ten years old in 2020 alone.
Digital battleground
A study supported by UNICEF reveals that predators are increasingly targeting children through social media platforms such as Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp.
Many children face manipulation, blackmail, or pressure into sharing sexual images through promises of money, gifts, or affection.
The digital space remains heavily shrouded in silence, as more than half of the children who received unwanted sexual requests online told no one about their experience.
The study said that, specifically, 55% of these children kept the abuse a secret. Those who did speak up often confided in friends rather than adults, and only 1% reported the abuse to police or social workers.
Strict legal obligations for adults
South African legislation already places a strict legal responsibility on adults to report child sexual abuse, though many cases still go unreported. Section 54 of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act dictates that anyone who knows about a sexual offence against a child must report it.
Failing to fulfil this duty is a criminal offence that can lead to up to five years in prison.
Furthermore, Section 110 of the Children’s Act requires teachers, nurses, doctors, religious leaders, and social workers to report any reasonable suspicion that a child is being abused.
To address systemic reporting failures, five parliamentary portfolio committees received instructions in August 2024 to develop a joint programme to tackle statutory rape. The committees involved in this initiative include Social Development, Basic Education, Health, Justice, and Police.
Following an extension, this legislative work resumed in July 2025 under the leadership of the Portfolio Committee on Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, which is currently examining whether laws around mandatory reporting should be strengthened.
Proposed government interventions
To combat the crisis on multiple fronts, the Portfolio Committee on Social Development has previously proposed several targeted interventions.
The committee recommends publishing daily public updates on child sexual abuse statistics to maintain national awareness.
Lawmakers also want to implement a confidential online reporting system that is shared across various government departments.
To ensure compliance, the proposal demands stronger accountability and stricter penalties for professionals who fail to report abuse.
Additionally, the committee calls for greater support for boy children and male victims, who are often overlooked because of social stigma.
The strategy involves building partnerships with traditional leaders to challenge harmful cultural practices that discourage reporting.
Finally, the committee aims to work with mining companies and other industries to fund social workers in communities where abuse is widespread.
It also urged communities across the country to speak out, report abuse, and work together to end violence against children.