The communities of Limpopo’s Vhembe District are calling for the Children’s Amendment Bill to improve the child support services and the grants children get from the government.

The call was made by children’s parents during the public hearings on Children’s Amendment Bill that were kick-started by the Portfolio Committee on Social Development in the Vhembe District’s Thulamela Local Municipality.

The parents told the committee that it was important for the Bill to guarantee equal parenting rights to both parents without giving more parenting rights to mothers. The committee was informed that in the border towns, cases of children with foreign parents were not uncommon. The communities pleaded that the matter of documentation for such children should be resolved speedily.

Another issue that was raised by parents was birth certificates which are important for grant applications and Early Childhood Development (ECD) registration.

The Acting Chairperson of the committee, Ms Kate Bilankulu, said the committee came to listen from the people and afford them an opportunity to express their views on the Bill so that they can own the legislation that is going to be delivered in the end.

“We want to get a better understanding of the views of the people on this Bill and ensure that they are part of making a law that they can own. This legislation seeks to improve the welfare of children,” said Ms Bilankulu.

Ms Bilankulu told the people who raised concerns that some of those concerns will not be attended to by the committee, but it will forward them to the relevant government departments. The Provincial Department of Social Development told the committee that it was always willing to resolve challenges when they are reported to it.

Limpopo’s programme continues as follows:.

District: Capricorn Date: Tuesday, 8 June 2021 Venue: Jakes Botes Hall (Polokwane) Time: 10h00

District: Sekhukhune Date: Wednesday, 9 June 2021 Venue: Moses Mabotha Civic Hall (Makhuduthamaga) Time: 10h00