The South African Office on the Rights of the Child within the department of social development will host the African Union Special Rapporteur stakeholder engagement on child marriages in Pretoria and Johannesburg.  

The host, Honourable Takam Kembo, of Cameroon, the Special Rapporteur and Social and Health envoy from the African Union Commission are on a mission to conduct a monitoring visit on the progress that South Africa has made to end child marriages and harmful cultural practices against children.

The mission will conduct a series of high-level engagements with relevant government ministries, human rights institutions, Civil Society Organisations and children themselves. These engagements will focus on child rights to capture current progress, challenges, best practices, lessons learned and make recommendations for fast-tracking progress to end the violations of the rights of women and children.

This monitoring visit comes before the country launches its Women’s month program in Khayelitsha on August 9. This year’s theme is: “Accelerating socio-economic opportunities for women’s empowerement”.

Furthermore, this visit is part of a series of visits that the AU Commission is expected to conclude ahead of the upcoming 4th African Girls Summit in November this year.

In 2014, the then Chairperson of African Union Commission, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma launched the campaign to end child marriages in the African continent. At the time, the AU Commission, estimated that about 14 million adoscelent and teen girls were married. To date, more than thirty Member States have responded by accelerating the implementation of ending child marriage programmes and interventions.  

The Special Rapporteur will within six months, produce a detailed progress report with observations and recommendations for the country.

Members of the media are invited to attend and cover the Monitoring Visit by the African Union Special Rapporteur planned as follows:

DAY ONE

Date: Monday, 07 August 2023

Time: 09h00

Venue: Corner Steve Biko and Stanza Bopape Streets, Pretoria, Gauteng

DAY TWO

PART ONE

Date:   Tuesday, 08 August 2023

Time:   09h00

Venue: Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund in Johannesburg, Gauteng

PART TWO – COMMISSION FOR GENDER EQUALITY

Date:   Tuesday, 08 August 2023

Time:   12h30  

Venue: 2 Kotze Street, Braamfontein, Commission for Gender Equality in Johannesburg,

Gauteng

Members of the media can RSVP by contacting Ms Ziphelele Siguca on 083 768 6298 / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. / Mr Jaconia Kobue: 063 249 5120/email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

Media enquiries may be directed to Ms Lumka Oliphant on 083 484 8067 / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.