South Africa has failed to provide its children with a way out of poverty, damning them to a life of violence and deprivation, a new report cited by a Sunday newspaper said.
The report by the African Union’s (AU) Peer Review panel found that children in the country were facing an uphill struggle as families and schools disintegrate, leaving them without social support structures.
”Not only has parental leadership failed, the overall societal leadership is far from being inspiring to children,” the Sunday Times cited from a confidential 300-page country review.
South Africa is the fourth country to submit to the African Peer Review Mechanism, a voluntary process introduced by the AU to improve governance on the continent.
While the report commended the country for having a good sense of developmental responsibility and accountability, it noted serious shortfalls in dealing with escalating crime and violence — especially in schools.
”South African girls continue to be raped, sexually abused, sexually harassed and assaulted at school by male classmates and teachers,” it said.
The report said too little had been done for South Africa’s 1,2-million Aids orphans, who make up almost 10% of the world’s 15-million such children.
”These children are extremely vulnerable. Many suffer severe deprivation, quit school, fail to access training and fall prey to abuse, exploitation, and risk HIV infection more than other children,” the panel found. – Sapa-AFP