News
April 16, 2015 Mthatha Express
9
COLUMN: MTHATHA CHILD ABUSE RESOURCE CENTRE
Name and nationality, a child’s right SIKHANYISO TONISE AND NOKULUNGA NTAPANE THE International system of human rights together with the constitution of the Republic of South Africa as an expression of the deepest commitment to “ensure” that children’s rights are realized, require every parent to register the child immediately after birth. Registration of a child after birth is not only a legal obligation for parents, but something to which the child is entitled to in order to secure his or her enjoyment of government services that are necessary for dignified living. South Africa, as a signatory to a number of international agreements, is bound to promote these rights; namely the right to a name and a nationality. These agreements define the duties of state parties to the treaty, covenant or convention. The right to a name and a nationality as enshrined in the constitution is of para-
mount importance to the survival and development of the child. In the absence of a birth certificate and/or identity document (ID), the prospects of a child’s development are slim. The child cannot be enrolled at any school. Furthermore he or she can forfeit the right to access government services, like child support grants and other forms of assistance. The UCARC has noted with great concern the growing number of children in many villages who drop out of school owing to the lack of birth certificates and/or identity documents. These children become victims of their parents’ negligence. It had come to the organization’s attention that more often, the root cause for lack of birth certificates was the fact that their parents had no ID’s themselves. Information received from some local health practitioners revealed that most women do not visit clinics during pregnancy and as a result their babies get delivered at home. This ill-informed decision makes it difficult for them to register their babies at Home Affairs, since a clinic card is a prerequisite to apply or a child’s birth certificate.
When they get rejected at Home Affairs the parents sometimes resort to fraudulent activities, like the buying of birth certificates to make life easier. But when they apply for IDs those fake certificates become useless as the fraudulent documents are not recognised by the department. These challenges, if not tackled head-on at this juncture, will negatively affect the future generation. It becomes very complicated for the child to get registered if the mother had no ID before she passed on, especially if there was no person who shared a surname. Many parents do not take responsibility for registering their children or themselves for identity documents owing to a number of factors, including negligence and alcohol abuse. Some fac-
tors that contribute significantly to the absence of identity documents for children was the conflict among family members or spouses which result in one partner dumping the child with another, without having the necessary documentation, like a clinic card. It becomes a long and tedious process for the family to successfully apply for an ID for these children. Parents should take into account the future of the child in whatever they do, as the child’s future lies in their hands. Failure of a parent to apply for the child’s identity document is a direct violation of the child’s right to a name and a nationality. For more information, contact the UCARC at 047 531 1103 or send email to ucarc@intekom.co.za
Nelly Nonjovu Sales Executive Tel: 039 251 0834 Fax: 041 503 6255 Cell: 071 990 1540 Email: Nelisa.nonjovu@media24.com
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