09/07/2026
Greetings! and Greetings to Africa!
We all have watched children and peoples being brutalised, run-after and being hit, in South Africa. Africa and the whole World have watched children for being children, removed from schools, hospital beds, and from homes. We have watched these SAD incidents, day after another, of children being left without fathers because their fathers are foreign nationals who now must leave the Republic. Expectant mothers have delivered on the streets after being forced out of hospital or they have died in front of doctors and some right on the streets on which others died after the mothers were pushed out of hospital.
Children have been exposed to traumatic experiences and sights of brutalisation of their parents who got killed or humilliated by the vigilante groups, in full view and inactive police officials. As mothers ran for their dear lives, loving mothers could only remember carrying their children as they escaped into the bush, to some how safety places, and as they raced with their children on the streets. Those children will live traumatised.
If remorse be the feelings of child rights advocates, we must all re-think if it is worthy still to base the Commemoration of the Day of the African Child (the DAC) under the African Union, on the 1976 students uprising against Apatheid South Africa in which in a similar fashion as the "abahambe" theme, was killing of children back in 1976. It is just time that African Leaders including States now question if the basis of the commemoration on every 16th June holds the same degree of relevance. This is not to contend the importance of designation of a special day in Africa under African Union to celebrate children of the continent, but to remember an event which is refashioned today is absurd to modern leaders.
It remains unknown as to what has become of people found in South Africa because they escaped wars in other countries. These ones too are being told to "go back to your country and fix your country". How South Africans expect refugees in South Africa to return to their countries and fix the same countries they had freed, remains mysterious. Even security officials have been seen on social media outlet bundling a refugee woman who has lived in that country for over twenty years, whose children were claimed to have had been picked and dropped at Lindella already, into a Police van crying for her children and property, etc. Yet the system never listened to her but bundled her into a Police anti-riot van. Many have been seen being dragged on the ground by security agencies particularly the Police into a foreigners collection vans and tracks.
Perhaps another good questio of what is certain is our failure to understand what might have happened to children with disability. It must be so hard to imagine that the "Operation Dudula, and the "abahambe" never affected children with disability. Perhaps also, is that it should be know as to what might have happened to the girl child affected directly or indirecty because she might have been born of a South parent and a foreigner. History has it that girls, women, children with disability, and of course all children become susceptible to abuse and violence. In this case, it remains unknown if such incidences occurred as may be suspected unless the state proves itself otherwise. Let the unknown be known.
We want to Call on the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights, as it applies to the Committee responsible for implementation of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child to reconsider the essence of fronting the 16th June 1976 South Africa killing of children. Further, we CALL on the United Nations (UN) and its Special Committee responsible for the Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) to institute investigations into these incidences more so that State Security Agencies, meant to protect every human being resident in the Republic of South Africa, looked away from the scenes of violence against children, girls and women or for having actively participated in such acts.
We argue because all children are equal therefore must not suffer discrimination for reasons that they are of different originality or indeed that their parents are foreigners in the eyes of South African citizens supported by the political agenda of political actors.
We make the Appeals with careful recognition of the independent sovereignty of the Republic of Africa in view of the territorial integrity of the state. The decision to live solely amongst themselves cannot be objected because that's how the citizens view the world around them and not around the continent or the world.
That said, we also take cognissance of the global and regional ratifications of the Republic of South Africa to international human rights institutions therefore the ideals purported in them as per their objectives. There should be very good reasons why member states to conventions, treaties, protocols, charters, and others must then demonstrate compliance with assertions of the various treaty bodies.
We take acknowledgement of the efforts by the Human Rights Commission of South Africa, and many other citizens of South Africa for their attempts to end the Xenophobic attacks on children - girls and women, and those of disability. However, they were given little recognition.
