South African History Online

Statement by President Mandela on International Children's day

1 June 1994

Today, 1 June, is International Children's Day.

I wish to take this opportunity to reiterate the commitment of the South
African Government to a comprehensive programme to ensure that children of our
country grow up secure in family life, enjoying all the rights and privileges
they deserve. We recommit ourselves to the UN Declaration on the Rights of the
Child.

In order to realise these objectives, the Government has already set in
motion mechanisms to implement various programmes that we announced at the
Opening of the last Parliamentary Session. These include:

Free medical care in state hospitals and clinics for children under six years
of age: A decision has been taken that this should come into effect immediately
where mechanisms have been put in place, and it will apply to all cases where
such a need exists.

A nutritional feeding scheme in primary schools: The relevant ministry is
already identifying the areas most in need for the urgent implementation of this
measure.

The Departments of Justice and Welfare will soon announce a detailed
programme to empty our jails of children and to provide alternative care
centres.

Legislation to introduce free and quality education for all children will be
introduced at the next parliamentary session.

Among the measures that are also under urgent consideration are the
conditions of street children, and ways in which the Government can contribute
to alleviate and finally eradicate their plight. Further, legislation on the
eradication of child abuse and child labour will be processed with deliberate
speed.

On this day, we also extend our solidarity with children throughout the world
whose lives are ravaged by the scourges of hunger, war and ignorance. We commit
ourselves to contribute, to the best of our ability, to the international
efforts aimed at resolving these problems.

The South African Government's approach to the question of children's social
and political rights derives from the basic principle that to value our children
is to value our future.