Child Protection Week cannot become another week of statements while children continue to experience violence, abuse and exploitation in the very places where they should be safest.
This is the message from the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund as South Africa commemorates Child Protection Week from 29 May to 5 June 2026 under the theme, “Working together in ending violence against children”.
The Fund is calling for urgent, coordinated national action to strengthen prevention, reporting, psychosocial support, child-friendly justice, digital safety and community-based protection systems.
According to the National Child Protection Register’s first to third quarter statistics for the 2025/26 financial year, 8 984 cases of child abuse and 3 258 cases of sexual abuse were recorded. The figures paint a troubling picture of the realities facing children daily in homes, schools, communities, and digital spaces.
Further concerns emerge from the Department of Justice’s statistical records, which show an increase in statutory rape cases to 199 in the 2025/26 financial year, compared to 127 cases recorded in 2024/25. Equally concerning is the rise in children themselves committing acts of sexual violence, with 22 children reported for statutory rape and 890 children committing rape. Of these rape cases, 129 involved victims under the age of 18.
The Fund warns that these figures are more than statistics. They reflect the trauma, fear and vulnerability experienced by thousands of children across South Africa.
Dr Linda Ncube-Nkomo, CEO of the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund, says South Africa can no longer afford to normalise violence against children or treat child protection as the responsibility of government alone.
“Our children are under extreme danger, and the reality is that we are failing them as a society. Violence against children has become deeply embedded in our communities, homes, schools, and increasingly within digital spaces. Child Protection Week must be more than a symbolic campaign; it must become a national call to action. Protecting children is everyone’s responsibility, and we need urgent, coordinated action to create environments where children feel safe, valued, protected, and heard,” says Dr Ncube-Nkomo.
Child Protection Month is a national campaign aimed at promoting the rights, safety, dignity, and well-being of children in South Africa. This year’s campaign places particular emphasis on strengthening statutory rape case management, improving mandatory reporting mechanisms, increasing accountability, and ensuring that children who experience violence receive adequate psychosocial support.
The Fund believes that while legislation and policy frameworks exist to protect children, implementation gaps, weak accountability systems, poverty, substance abuse, social fragmentation, and silence within communities continue to place children at risk.
The Fund is calling for greater investment in:
- Community-based child protection systems
- Parenting and caregiver support programmes
- Mental health and psychosocial services for children
- Child-friendly justice systems
- Digital safety education and awareness
- Early intervention and prevention programmes
- Stronger reporting and accountability mechanisms
The Fund also emphasises the importance of listening to children and creating safe spaces for them to speak out about abuse without fear, shame, or intimidation.
“Too often, children suffer in silence because adults fail to act, communities look away, or systems respond too slowly. We need to restore a culture of collective responsibility where every child matters and where safeguarding children becomes embedded in the everyday actions of society,” says Dr Ncube-Nkomo.
The Fund further highlighted the growing risks children face online, including cyberbullying, grooming, exploitation, and exposure to harmful content, noting that child protection efforts must evolve to address both physical and digital threats.
As South Africa marks Child Protection Week 2026, the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund urges all South Africans to move beyond awareness and towards meaningful action.
The Fund encourages citizens to:
- Report abuse and neglect
- Support vulnerable children and families
- Challenge harmful social norms and violence
- Strengthen community vigilance
- Prioritise child safety in homes, schools, and public spaces
“Our children deserve to grow up in environments that nurture their potential, dignity, and humanity. We owe it to them to act decisively, compassionately, and collectively. The future of our country depends on how we protect and care for our children today,” concludes Dr Ncube-Nkomo.