A reflection on the journey of children's rights in SouthAfrica

ON APRIL 27, 1994, South Africa embarked on its journey toward democracy, emerging from the shadows of apartheid. Thirty-one years later, we take a moment to reflect on what this freedom has meant - not only for the adults who cast their first votes but also for the generations of children born into this new South Africa. For these children, democracy is not a distant memory; it is a promise that they will be seen, heard, and protected.

- KARABO OZAH AND FORTUNATE SENEKA MONGWAI

Children’s rights in South Africa were not simply restored with the advent of democracy; they were established in full for the first time. Under apartheid, South Africa was particularly brutal to children, especially “black children”, who faced systematic neglect, poverty, and violence.

The 1996 Constitution, widely regarded as one of the most progressive in the world, enshrined children’s rights in Section 28. This section clearly states that every child has the right to education, healthcare, protection from abuse, and the opportunity to grow up in a nurturing environment, etc.

This commitment was reinforced internationally when South Africa ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) in 1995 and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACRWC) in 2000. These treaties obligate the state to protect children from exploitation, ensure their participation in decisions affecting them, and promote their full development.