Day of African Child creates engagement platform with government

Since its adoption by the African Union (AU) in 1999, in memory of the 16th of June 1976 South African student uprising , International Day of African Child has been used a vehicle for children to engage with government and private sector about matters directly affecting children in the continent.

Commemorating this adoption, the Limpopo provincial government gathered at Mamatlepa Primary school in Kgapane on the 20th of July. The event was attended by children ambassadors, learners from different schools and political heads in the province.

With this year’s theme of “education for all children in Africa: the time is now” the foundation built by the 1976 youth movement for brave advocacy for quality education, recognition of other languages as a medium of instruction at schools and inclusive education to the African child.

A 14 year old Bradley Sibanda, a foreign learner from Zimbabwe whom his parents came to South Africa for a better life is a leaner in one of the local schools in Kgapane. He shared his experience about the benefits he got by the establishment of the Day of African Child and expressed how engagement platform like this with government officials have been beneficial.

“As a foreign leaner, the South African government in Limpopo has catered for me and my parents. As difficult as it is to be settled and learn local languages, the teachers made it easy for me and other foreign learners in the school to feel safe and get the same education as learners born in South Africa. I’m grateful to the UN for this initiative and to the government of Limpopo because I also go to school for free”.

The platform created by this commemoration included children running the programme in the mist of political principals, raising issues affecting children in the province such as child labour, child marriage and teenage pregnancy which children took to the podium to address political heads sent by the provincial government.

Addressing learners on behalf of the Premier, MEC for Social Development Florence Radzilani spoke on the importance of uplifting the children and quality education.

“This has been a special day interacting with learners, they were able to share what the government has done in improving quality of life and education. They were able to highlight number of challenges including government delays in delivering its programmes. We have learners that are brave enough to share with us the frustration of shortage of learners and focus on urgent attention on dilapidated school infrastructure” said MEC Radzilani

Radzilani also committed to join hands with other stakeholders to improve the quality of education and promised learners protection on issues they raised and should not be victimized for advocating for inclusive education and reminding government on timeous delivery.

President of the Nelson Mandela Children’s Parliament Dikgang Morudu and Child Ambassador Mashai Moore acknowledged progress made by government for inclusive education with no fees school at the foundation level until grade 12.

“Our role is to be the voice for the voiceless in communities and ensure that children’s needs are heard in superior offices and we have are consulted from national level about the needs and decisions taken for the children which directly affect us”. Concluded Morudu EC