Ke a leboha Modulasetulo, Motlatsaletona le maloko a hlomphehang. Re le mokgatlo wa ANC, ke kgale re qetile hore ditlolo tsa molao tsa tlhekefetso ya basadi le bana di ka sehloohong. Mmuso le Lefapha la Sepolesa di tumme ka matsapa a tsona a ho lwantsha ditlolo tsa molao tse ka sehloohong. Ditlolo tsena tsa molao ke tse mpe haholo dihlopheng tsa batho ba kotsing haholo setjhabeng.
Mokotaba wa dipuisano tsena e leng tshebedisanommoho ho sireletseng bana ba rona, o sisinya mekgwa e tla sebediswa ho sireletsa bana ditlolong tsa molao le ho dikgoka. Re a tseba hore bokamoso ba naha ena ya rona bo baneng ba rona. Mohoo wa dikgetho wa mokga wa ANC o bontsha tlhokeho ya ho matlafatswa ha tshireletso ya bana ke ditheo tse kenyang molao kgabong.
Bolaodi bo Ikemetseng ba Ditletlebo le Ditshebeletso tsa Sepolesa sa Afrika Borwa ba sebedisana mmoho thomong ya ho lwantsha ditlolo tsa molao, haholoholo ditlolo tsa molao baneng. Mohlodi wa thomo ena ya tshebedisanommoho ke tokomane ya mokga wa ANC e bitswang Policing the Transition, e hlalosang mokgwa o motle wa ho ntlafatsa mosebetsi wa sepolesa ho Afrika Borwa ya demokerasi ho netefatsa tshebetso e ntle le boikarabelo. Re le mokga wa ANC, re boetse ra nka qeto hore tshireletso ya bana ha e hloke feela tshebeletso e matla ya sepolesa empa e hloka selekane se matla mahareng a sepolesa le setjhaba.
E se e le nako e telele re nkile qeto hore bahlekefetsi ba bana ba lokela ho fuwa dikotlo tse thata. Re bona kamehla makgotla a dinyewe a isa bahlekefetsi ditjhankaneng empa ditlolo tsena tsa molao di ntse di tswela pele. Re boetse re bona matsapa a sepolesa a ho thakgola botjha Yuniti ya Twantsho ya Dikgoka Malapeng le Yuniti ya Tshireletso ya Bana le Ditlhekefetso tsa Motabo. Re tshepa hore diyuniti tsena di tla thusa ho fokotsa dinyewe tsa tlhekefetso ya bana le dikgoka malapeng.
Setjhaba sa rona se tlameha ho sebedisana mmoho le sepolesa ho lwantsha ditlolo tsa molao. Re boetse re tlameha ho matlafatsa seabo sa setjhaba kgahlanong le ditlolo tse mpe tsa molao. Mokotaba wa rona o tsamaisana le mesebetsi ya sehlooho, e leng hore: "Ha re sebetsa mmoho re ka sireletsa bana ba rona."Boholo ba ditlolo tse tjena tsa molao ha bo etsahale setjhabeng feela kapa hona ho susumetswa ke baditjhaba, empa ka dinako tse ding bo etswa ke ba leloko kapa batswadi baneng ba bona.
Molao wa Tshebediso ya Dikgoka ka Lapeng o na le ditlamo tse itseng mapoleseng a amohelang ditletlebo tsa dikgoka malapeng empa ho sebetswa ha dinyewe tsa tshebediso ya dikgoka malapeng ke mapolesa ho hlahisa dipotso tse pedi. Ya pele ke hore na sepolesa se na le bokgoni ba ho sebetsana le dinyewe tsena? Ya bobedi ke hore na ho boima ho kenya Molao wa Tshebediso ya Dikgoka ka Lapeng tshebetsong ka tsela eo o leng ka wona?
Modulasetulo, ke nnete hore sekamolao sena se setjha se bitswang Moifo o Ikemetseng wa Balaodi ba Dipatlisiso tsa Sepolesa se sa tswa tekenwa ke Mopresidente Zuma ho se etsa molao ka la 12 Motsheanong 2011, se ekeditse thomo ya Moifo o Ikemetseng wa Ditletlebo se bile se e kentse motjheng. Ho se ho se hokae molao ona o kenngwa tshebetsong ho tla thusa ho lwantsha ditlolo tsena tsa molao. Moelelong ona Karolo ya 28 le ya 12 tsa Molaotheo di leka ho sireletsa bana ditlolong tsa molao. Dikarolo le dipehelo tsena di bontsha bana e le mahlatsipa a ditlolo tsa molao le dikgoka kapa tlhekefetso le ho se tsotellwe. Ho bohlokwa mapoleseng ho fuputsa ka tshwanelo dipelaelo tsa ditlolo tsa molao baneng jwaloka ha a matlafaditswe ke melao.
Ditlolo tsa molao kgahlanong le bana di bonwa di le mahlonoko jwaloka ha di laolwa ke Molao wa Mokgwatshebetso wa Bosenyi le Molao wa Phetolelo wa Bosenyi. Ka ho tshwanang, dinyewe tsa bana ba tlotseng molao di sebetswa hantle ke Molao wa Toka Baneng. Molao wa Phetolelo wa Bosenyi o fana ka dipehelo tsa kahlolo bakeng sa dinyewe tse mahlonoko kgahlanong le bana tse buuwang le ho ahlolwa Makgotleng a Dinyewe a Mabatowa le a Phahameng. Tsena di mabapi le ho fana ka dikahlolo tsa ho hlola bophelo bohle tjhankaneng kapa dikahlolo tse tlase-tlase tse beilweng haeba ho se mabaka a tshwarehang a ho bebofatsa kahlolo ka lebaka la maemo a tshwarehang a bile a susumetsa a tokafatsang kahlolo e bobejana ho feta ya sethathong. Sepheo sa molao ona ke ho bebofaletsa bao ba fumanweng ba le molato wa ditlolo tsa molao kgahlanong le bana.
Mmuso o theile makgotla a dinyewe a ditlolo tsa molao tsa motabo e le ona a tla shebana le dinyewe tsa bana ba hlekefeditsweng, ba tlatlapuweng le ba betilweng. Ana ke makgotla a ikgethileng a lokiseditsweng ho tsamaelana le bana, ho dumella bopaki boo ngwana a fanang ka bona ka thuso ya mosebeletsi wa Setjhaba le bohle ba fanang ka thuso. Mosebetsi wa lepolesa le fuputsang ke wa bohlokwa haholo ho bokella bopaki bo lekaneng. Ka dinako tse ding bana e ka ba dipaki dinyeweng tsa bana bao e leng mahlatsipa mme sena se tlisa phepetso e kgolo tshebeletsong ya botjhutjhisi le Sepolesa.
Molao wa Toka Baneng o na le mekgwatsamaiso ya toka ya ho busetsa e kenyeletsang hara dintho tse ding, tshireletso ya bana ba tlotseng molao ka ho ba faposa ho mokgwatshebetso wa toka ditlolong tsa molao. Maikemisetso a Molao ona jwaloka ha o hlahella ho Karolo ya 2, a kenyeletsa tshebediso ya phetolelo e le mokgwa wa ho thibela bana hore ba shebane le maemo a mabe a mokgwatshebetso wa toka ditlolong tsa molao.
Phetolelo e kenyeletsa ho tlosa dinyewe makgotleng a dinyewe a tlwaelehileng moo ho nang le bopaki bo lekaneng bakeng sa ho tjhutjhisa. Ho ya ka Molao, phetolelo e ka fihlellwa ka ditsela tse tharo. Ya pele ke ya mokgwa wa botjhutjhisi ba phetolelo bakeng sa ditlolo tse nyane tsa molao. Ya bobedi ke ya nako ya diphuputso tsa qalong, ka taelo ya lekgotla la diphuputso.Jwale Molao o fana ka moralo ho netefatsa tsela e tshwanang ya tshebetso le tiisetso ya molao mabapi le phetolelo.
Makgotla a rona a dinyewe, setjhaba le bohle ba nang le seabo ba tlameha ho netefatsa hore Molao ona o latelwa ka hohle-hohle ho kgothalletsa tshireletso ya bana. Re tlameha ho ruta batho ba rona ka mekgwatsamaiso ena ya bohlokwa ya ho busetsa e nang le tlhokomelo le tshireletso ya bana. Ho bohlokwa ho hlokomela hore ke lekgetlo la pele phetoho ena e kenyelletswa tsamaisong ya mokgwatshebetso wa toka ditlolong tsa molao. Kahoo, Molao o leka ho hlakisa maikemisetso a phetolelo ho bohle ba nang le seabo.
Ke kahoo karolwana ya 51 e hlalosang maikemisetso a phetolelo hara tse ding e le ho shebana le bana kantle ho mokgwa wa tsamaiso ya toka ditlolong tsa molao; ho kgothalletsa ngwana ho ba le boikarabelo bohlokong bo entsweng ke yena; ho fihlella ditlhoko tse itseng tsa ngwana ka mong; ho kgothalletsa ho kenyelletswa ha ngwana, lelapa la hae kapa setjhaba ho sena; ho fana ka monyetla ho ba amehileng bohlokong ho hlalosa maikutlo a bona ka kgahlamelo ya sena ho bona; ho kgothalletsa ho hlatsuwa ha lehlatsipa mahlo ka mokgwa o itseng wa morokotso; ho kgothalletsa poelano mahareng a ngwana le motho kapa setjhaba se mo utlwisitseng bohloko; ho thibela ho songwa ha ngwana le ditlamorao tse mpe tse latelang ho hlahella makgotleng a dinyewe; le ho fokotsa kgonahalo ya ho tlola molao hape.
Mananeo a tlhokomediso a bohlokwa haholo. Re tshwanela ho ruta le ho hlokomedisa setjhaba sa rona ka dikotsi tsa tlhekefetso le ditlolo tsa molao kgahlanong le bana. Re tshwanela ho boloka botho bo reng, "ngwana wa hao ke ngwanaka le nna". Re tshwanela ho ntjhafatsa boleng bona le meetlo ena e phahamisang boleng ba bophelo ba motho le ho hlokomela bana jwaloka batho ba hlokang molato. Meetlo ena kaofela e tshehetswa ke Sekamolao sa Ditokelo tsa Botho.
Ho na le dikatleho tse bonahalang tsa sepolesa kgahlanong le dikgoka le ditlolo tsa molao baneng, jwaloka ha ho bonahala bahlekefetsi ba tshwarwa ka bongata. Re sa le moo, makgotla a rona a dinyewe a tswela pele ho fana ka dikotlo tse boima. Leha ho le jwalo, re tshwanela ho fa setjhaba disebediswa tse ngata. Ha re aheng le ho matlafatsa mahokela a kgahlanong le ditlolo tsa molao setjhabeng, Diforamo tsa Sepolesa sa Setjhaba (CPFs) le dikomiti tsa diterateng. Ntle le qeaqeo, mmoho re ka sireletsa bana ba rona. Ke a leboha. [Mahofi.] (Translation of Sesotho speech follows.)
[Mr T M H MOFOKENG: Thank you, Chairperson, Deputy Minister and hon members. We as the ANC decided long ago that crime relating to the abuse of women and children is a serious matter. Government and the Department of Police are known for their efforts to fight serious crimes. These are very serious crimes against vulnerable groups within the community.
The theme for this debate, which is "Working together to protect our children", suggests methods that can be used to protect our children against crime and violence. We know that the future of this country is in our children. The election campaign of the ANC shows the need to strengthen the protection of children by institutions that implement the law.
The Independent Complaints Directorate and the SA Police Service work together in the fight against crime, especially crimes against children. The source of this co-operation is an ANC document called Policing the Transition, which explain a good way of improving police work in a democratic South Africa to ensure good progress and responsibility. We as the ANC have again decided that protection of children does not only need a strong police service, but needs a strong partnership between the police and the community.
We have, for a long time, decided that those who abuse children must be given heavy sentences. We always see courts sending abusers to jail, but these crimes continue. We also notice efforts by the police to reinstate the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit. We hope that this unit will help reduce the cases of child abuse and domestic violence.
Our community must co-operate with the police to fight crime. We also need to strengthen the role of the community against violent crimes. Our theme relates to the main objective, which is: "Working together to protect our children." Most of these crimes do not only happen in the community or motivated by foreigners, but sometimes they are committed by relatives or parents who abuse their own children.
The Domestic Violence Act has some restrictions for police who are involved in family violence complaints, but the handling of domestic violence cases by police raises two questions. Firstly, do the police have the ability to deal with such cases? Secondly, is it difficult to implement the Domestic Violence Act as it is?
Chairperson, it is true that the new legislation pertaining to the Independent Police Investigative Directorate, which was recently signed into law on 12 May 2011, has strengthened the mandate of the Independent Complaints Directorate and has also implemented it. It won't be long before this legislation is implemented to help fight these crimes. In this sense, sections 28 and 12 of the Constitution try to protect children from these crimes. These sections and terms show children as victims of crime and violence or abuse and as being ignored. It is important for the police to investigate these crimes against children properly as they are empowered by law.
Crimes against children are seen as serious as they are regulated by the Criminal Procedure Amendment Act. In the same way, cases of children who have broken the law are dealt with according to the Child Justice Act. The Criminal Law Amendment Act gives terms for sentencing for serious crimes against children, for those who are being prosecuted and sentenced in regional and High Courts. These terms relate to life imprisonment sentences or prescribed minimum sentences if there is no physical evidence to secure a lighter sentence, because physical evidence may justify a lighter sentence. The aim of this law is to make things simple with regard to those found guilty of crimes against children.
Government has formed sexual offences courts to deal with cases of abused, molested and raped children. These are special courts prepared to accommodate children, to allow evidence given by a child with the help of a social worker and everyone who provides assistance. The work of an investigating police officer is very important, especially with regard to gathering enough evidence. Sometimes children can become witnesses in cases where other children are victims and this poses a great challenge for the prosecution and the Police Service.
The Child Justice Act has justice procedures for rehabilitation that include, among other things, protection of children who commit crimes by granting them diversion by referring them away from formal court procedures. The aim of this Act, as it appears in section 2, includes the use of diversion as a way of preventing children from being exposed to the adverse effects of the formal criminal justice system.
Diversion includes removing cases from regular courts where there is enough evidence to prosecute. According to the Act, diversion can be achieved in three ways. Firstly, it is by a way of prosecutorial diversion for minor offences committed. The second way is at the time of the preliminary inquiry, through an order of the inquiry magistrate. Now the Act gives a plan to ensure the same treatment to enforce the law regarding diversion.
Our courts, the community and all those involved must ensure that this Act is completely adhered to and encourage the protection of children. We must educate our people about these important procedures of rehabilitation that involve the care and protection of children. It is very important to realise that this is the first time this change has been included in the criminal justice system. So, the Act tries to clarify the aims of diversion for all who are involved.
That is why subsection 51 states the objectives of diversion as, among other things, to deal with children outside of the formal criminal justice system; to encourage a child to be accountable for the pain they have caused; to meet certain needs of each child; to encourage the reintegration of a child i9nto their family or the community; to give an opportunity to those affected to express their feelings about the impact of an action on them; to encourage compensation for the victim through some symbolic benefit; to encourage reconciliation between a child and a person or community that was hurt by them; to prevent the child being stigmatised and prevent the adverse consequences flowing from being subject to the criminal justice system; and to reduce the possibility of repeating the crime.
Awareness campaigns are very important. We need to educate and make the community aware of the danger of abuse and crime against children. We need to maintain the humanity that says, "Your child is also my child". We need to renew these value and cultures that promote the value of a person's life and the protection of innocent children. All these values are supported by the Bill of Rights.
There are visible achievements by the police with regard to violence and crimes against children, such as the arrests of abusers. While still on this, our courts continue to hand down heavy sentences. Let us build and strengthen co-ordination against crime in our community, community police forums, CPFs, and street committees. Without any hesitation, together we can protect our children. I thank you. [Applause.]]