Government-funded programmes and services for vulnerable - Unicef

Government-funded programmes and services for vulnerable children in SA
enforcement of child labour policies may expose vulnerable families to an even greater
degree of vulnerability. By stopping the child labour, one may be cutting off one of the
only sources of family income. This problem could potentially be addressed through the
proper implementation of the holistic vision of the NCLPA, which envisages a referral
system between the different departments. This would allow for termination of the labour
and referral of the family to alternative sources of income, such as the CSG, or preferential
participation in the expanded public works programmes (Nicolaou & Durieux 2005). This
vision is not a reality, however. There is no such referral system in place between the
different government departments in the context of child labour.
Insufficient coordination among stakeholders
The lack of an appropriate supportive referral system for children and families exposed to
child labour is symptomatic of a fundamental policy gap. The NCLPA, as with many other
overarching holistic policies designed to address vulnerability in South Africa, is a multidepartmental
initiative that requires coordination of visions, policies and programmes
so that child labour is mainstreamed into the poverty alleviation strategies of all relevant
departments. This requires a significant degree of coordination between government
departments and civil society. There is insufficient systemic coordination of these efforts,
as can be seen from the disjunctures discussed above.
Labour inspectors
Jameson et al. (2010) observe that many of the protective measures that are introduced by
the Basic Conditions of Employment Act to protect children from unlawful and harmful
labour practices are rendered ineffective by the fact that only a very small percentage of
labour inspectors dedicate time to monitoring child labour. Furthermore, most children are
employed in sectors and geographical areas where labour enforcement does not regularly
reach, such as on farms, in the seasonal hospitality industry and in domestic service
(Jameson et al. 2010).
Unemployment insurance benefits
Certain social insurance benefits are payable to the contributor’s dependents in the event
of the death of the member. Where the dependent is a minor, the benefits are meant to
be received by the child’s legal guardian, who is held accountable for the management
of funds and the maintenance of the child. Often accessing benefits is problematic for
vulnerable children for a variety of reasons, including (De Villiers & Giese 2008):
● a tendency within the legal system not to appoint legal guardians in the case of
children from families that are relatively poor and who leave behind small estates.
This often leaves the management of any funds received to an unaccountable
extended family member;
● the hidden costs of claiming benefits inhibit access to social insurance by children
living in poverty. Often claimants have to travel on multiple occasions over a
protracted period of time to try and interact with the employer, the fund or some
third party to lodge a claim;
● many members and potential beneficiaries probably do not know about the benefits
that are available to them, given the large sums of unclaimed money held by
registered funds, and the funds themselves appear not to be inclined to investigate
unclaimed monies and take steps that will increase claims against them;
● the abuse and incorrect use of funds by guardians or caregivers who receive the
money on behalf of children;
● claims procedures are cumbersome and difficult to navigate.
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