Baphaka impi yokuthi kuboshwe abakhulelisa izingane ezineminyaka engu-10

ISUKUNYELWA yizinhlaka ezehlukene eyokukhulelwa kwezingane ezincane ezisafunda isikole kuleli njengoba KwaZulu-Natal kubelethe ezingu-438 ezineminyaka engu-10 kuya ku-14, kusuka ngoJanuwari 1, 2024 kuya kuFebhuwari 28, 2025. Ngesikhathi esifanayo eKZN kubelethe ezingu-24 532 ezineminyaka engu-15 kuya ku-19.

Le nkinga yokubeletha kwezingane ezincane, yenze kwahlatshwa ikhwelo lokuthi kuphenywe eyokuthi bangakanani ngokweminyaka abasuke bezikhulelisile njengoba ukukhulelisa ingane engaphansi kuka-16 kuleli kuyicala kanti abenza lokhu bebadala kumele babekwe amacala okudlwengula.

UNkk Shontel de Boer we-DA esiShayamthetho sesifundazwe, uzwakalise ukukhathazeka ngokuthi izibalo zakamuva zeStatistics South Africa (Stats SA), ziveza ukuthi esifundazweni kubelethe izingane ezisencane ezineminyaka engu-10 kuya ku-14.

"Izingane zinelungelo lokuthi zibe yizingane, zingahlukumezeki. Sinxusa uhulumeni aqinisekise ukuthi zisuke zingadlwengulwanga zonke izingane ezibeletha zisencane ngona sifuna baboshwe abenzi bobubi," usho kanje.

Ikomiti elibhekele abesiFazane, iNtsha nabaPhila nokuKhubazeka ePhalamende, limatasa libhunga nezinhlaka ezihlukene okubalwa neminyango kahulumeni, eyokubheka ukuthi kungaliwa kanjani nale nkinga.

USihlalo waleli komiti uNksz Liezl van der Merwe, uthe babe nezithangami zomphakathi eGauteng nase-East London, lapho bekubhekwa ngokungenziwa ukuxazulula lesi simo.

Uthe okuvelile ezindaweni ezehlukene ngumthelela wokushoda kosonhlalakahle ekwandeni kwalesi sihlava.

"Baningi osonhlalakahle abaqeqeshiwe kodwa ababhuquza emakhaya ngenxa yokuswela umsebenzi. Okunye okuvelile ngukuthi othisha ababiki uma kunabafundi abancane abakhulelwe ezikoleni," usho kanje ekhuluma neNewzroom Afrika.

Uthe kuleli sonto bazoba nezigcawu nezinhlangano ezifaka eyamalungelo abantu, iminyango kahulumeni ehlukene okubalwa noMnyango wezeMfundo eyisiSekelo.

"Kumele siqhamuke nombiko wesikhashana ngasekupheleni kukaNovemba ngalesi sihlava. Asifuni kube nokujivazeka kwamalungelo ezingane kuleli ngoba ukukhulelisa ingane eneminyaka engaphansi kuka-16 kuleli, kufana nokudlwengula futhi yicala." 

Ukhale ngokuthi akukho ukubambisana eminyangweni kahulumeni uma kuziwa kule nkinga kodwa izisebenzela ngayodwana.

Uveze ukuthi izibhedlela kuleli ziveze ukuthi kwabeletha izingane ezevile ku-180 000 ezineminyaka engu-19 kuya phansi kusuka ngonyaka odlule kuza kulo nyaka. Kulezi ezingu-2 700 ezineminyaka engu-10 kuya ku-14.

"Sibheka igebe elikhona emthethweni nokuthi sihlulekaphi ukuxazulula inkinga yokuthi kubikwe labo abakhulelisa izingane ezincane. Uma kuvela eyokuthi kuchitshiyelwe umthetho, kuzobe sekulandelwa imigudu efanele ngokwePhalamende."