Media reports of parents incurring R300 fines for smacking their children are inaccurate, a senior African National Congress (ANC) member of Parliament’s social development portfolio committee said on Friday.
Statements to that effect, made earlier this week during the committee’s deliberations on the Children’s Amendment Bill, were ”quoted out of context”, MP Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu said in a statement.
A reference to such a fine, made during a briefing to the committee by the National Prosecuting Authority, had been used only as an example.
Bogopane-Zulu said the draft legislation, once promulgated, would make it unlawful for parents to use corporal punishment to discipline children.
However, a parent ”who is reported for subjecting a child to inappropriate forms of punishment must be referred to an early intervention service”.
Prosecution might be instituted if the punishment constituted abuse of the child.
”Prevention and early intervention measures contained in the draft Bill include programmes on preserving a child’s family structure; developing appropriate parenting skills; establishing appropriate interpersonal relationships within the family; promoting the well-being of children; and preventing the recurrence of the problems in the family environment that may harm children,” she said.
The committee is set to vote on the matter next week.
In a separate statement on Friday, the organisation Resources Aimed at the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (Rapcan) said media reports of a R300 fine for parents who smacked their children misrepresented what was said in the committee.
”The articles … misrepresent the discussion in the committee, which focused on the fact that parents should not be fined, and rather that they must have access to early intervention programmes and other support to empower them to parent their children using non-violent discipline”.
Rapcan said corporal punishment of children was widely practised across all different cultural groups in South Africa. Banning it would benefit society.
”Although a change in the methods used to discipline children will undoubtedly be difficult for many, by recognising that children learn through example, and teaching children to resolve conflict and deal with difficulties without using violence, will ultimately benefit our society,” it said.
In a statement issued late on Thursday, African Christian Democratic Party MP Cheryllyn Dudley said the ANC was ”hell bent” on undermining parental authority by banning corporal punishment.
”Children are having their rights taken away by removing their privilege to be guided and corrected by parents.”
She said the proposed legislation encouraged children to defy and report parents ”who physically correct them”. — Sapa