ACDP displeased with Children's Bill

By Tarryn Le Chat
05 June 2007

The Children’s Act Amendment Bill which had been passed on the 29 May to the displeasure of the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) as the party is concerned that parental corporal punishment makes children more vulnerable.

Cheryllyn Dudley, ACDP MP and Whip says, “The party believes that parents have a responsibility to raise and train their children and that the state should not undermine parental authority in the home.”

The controversial clauses do away with the legal concept of ‘reasonable chastisement’ which for example, prohibits parents from disciplining their children with a smack.

According to a statement, Dudley says that “targeting and sensationalising parental corporal punishment will not address abuse which is an entirely different matter and must be dealt with as such.”

Joy Mehlomakulu, children's rights coordinator at the Human Right's Commission says, "South Africa has a high crime rate and the interests of the child should be put first. Parents and caregivers should find different ways of punishing their children. Awareness should be created for children."

The Children’s Amendment Bill will be tabled in the National Assembly and the portfolio committee on Social Development will be dealing with it.

The first half of the integrated bill had been passed in June 2005 by the National Assembly.

The ACDP voted against the first half of the Children’s Act because it lowered the age of consent to 12 years for abortions and medical and surgical treatment in general.

Mehlomakulu says that children should have the right to make decisions, where they have been raped, molested or in cases of incest, be allowed to make decisions for themselves.