POTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

FINAL PROGRAMME

PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

POLICY WORKSHOP – 12^th-13^th APRIL 2005 AT MEETING ROOM 2.41-2.43, CAPE TOWN INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION CENTRE

Day ONE – 12 APRIL 2005

Time	Speaker and Organisation	FACILITATOR/SPEAKER
08h00	Registration
08h15	TEA - TO BE SERVED AT VENUE 2.4-2.6
08H30 – 08H40	Welcome and introductory remarks	Mrs TJ Tshivhase – Chairperson – PC on Social Development
08H40 – 09h10	Paula Proudlock – Children’s Institute Intersectoral co-operation - Clause 4(1) of the Bill already provides for intersectoral co-operation. Need to discuss whether this clause should provide more detail.	Ms N Ned
09h10-09h40	Questions for clarity	Ms N Ned
09h40-10h10	Advocate Ann Skelton - Centre for Child Law, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria Intersectoral co-operation - Clause 4(1) of the Bill already provides for intersectoral co-operation. Need to discuss whether this clause should provide more detail.	Ms N Ned
10h10 – 10h40	Questions for clarity	Ms N Ned
10h40 – 11h10	Mr Hendrik Van Der Merwe – Master’s Office Guardianship - The acquisition of guardianship by grandparents or other family members where the parents of child are deceased. How best can the issue be dealt with in the Children’s Bill [B 70 – 2003] (Reintroduced?	Ms N Ned
11h10 – 11h40	Questions for clarity	Ms N Ned
11h40 – 12h10	Ms Jacqui Gallinetti Guardianship - The acquisition of guardianship by grandparents or other family members where the parents of child are deceased. How best can the issue be dealt with in the Children’s Bill [B 70 – 2003] (Reintroduced?	Ms N Ned
12h10 – 12h40	Questions for clarity	Ms N Ned
12h40 – 13h10		Ms N Ned
13h10 – 13h50	LUNCH – TO BE SERVED AT VENUE 2.4-2.6
13h50 – 14h20	Nkosi J Ngubane – MEC for Social Services (KZN) So-called harmful social and cultural practices - Virginity testing and female genital mutilation - "The whole debate around virginity testing, and female genital mutilation and what is considered "harmful cultural practices. And how this issue can best be dealt with in the Children’ s Bill [B70-2003] Reintroduced	Ms N Ned
14h20-14h50	Questions for clarity	Ms N Ned
14h50-15h20	Mr Linda Mngomezulu – SANCO Corporal punishment (on clause 142 of the composite Children’s Bill) – on how best we can deal with this contentious issue in the Children’s Bill.
15h20-15h50	Questions for clarity
15h50-16h20	Dr Eva Seobi & Dr Moses Thindisa – Doctors for Life International Children's right to consent to medical treatment as well as their right to access to reproductive health services - there has been some debate around issues such as whether the age of 12 in some provisions is advisable, and whether, when a child younger than 16 applies for an abortion, there should be a responsibility on the side of the health care worker to report statutory rape. Access to abortion with regard to minors Corporal punishment	Ms N Ned
16h20-16h50	Questions for clarity	Ms N Ned
16h50-17h20	Dr Janet Giddy - Director of HIV Programmes at McCord’s Hospital HIV Testing	Ms N Ned
17h20	VOTE OF THANKS AND ADJOURNMENT FOR THE DAY	Mrs TJ Tshivhase – Chairperson – PC on Social Development

Day TWO – 13APRIL 2005

Time	Speaker and Organisation	FACILITATOR/SPEAKER
08h15	TEA - TO BE SERVED AT VENUE 2.4-2.6
08H30–08H40	Welcome and introductory remarks	Mrs TJ Tshivhase – Chairperson – PC on Social Development
08H40–09h10	Dr Jackie Lofell - JHB Child Welfare The conceptualisation of foster care Child Protection Register –	Ms N Ned
09h10-09h40	Questions for clarity	Ms N Ned
09h40-10h10	Prof Sloth-Nielsen - UWC . Guardianship The acquisition of guardianship by grandparents or other family members where the parents of child are deceased. Parental responsibilities v/s parental power The substitution of the concept – parental power with the concept – parental responsibility and rights proposed in the Children’s Bill. Child-headed households The whole area of how to deal with child-headed households (CHHs).	Ms N Ned
10h10–10h40	Questions for clarity	Ms N Ned
10h40–11h10	Prof C Himonga - UCT The extent to which the Children’s Bill repeals Common and Customary Laws particularly in relation to certain cultural practices in Customary Law. The question of whether the provisions of this Bill affect issues relating to customary law, the law of succession etc. This also relates to the whole area of what is considered "harmful cultural practices", and the whole debate around corporal punishment. Harmful social and cultural practices – focus currently on rights as opposed to policy. Parental rights and responsibilities as defined in customary law and how does this link to formal statutory law	Ms N Ned
11h10–11h40	Questions for clarity	Ms N Ned
11h40–12h10	Rep from National House of Traditional Leaders The extent to which the Children’s Bill repeals Common and Customary Laws particularly in relation to certain cultural practices in Customary Law. The question of whether the provisions of this Bill affect issues relating to customary law, the law of succession etc. This also relates to the whole area of what is considered "harmful cultural practices", and the whole debate around corporal punishment. Harmful social and cultural practices – focus currently on rights as opposed to policy. Parental rights and responsibilities as defined in customary law and how does this link to formal statutory law	Ms N Ned
12h10–12h40	Questions for clarity
12h40-13h10	Ms Carol Bower – RAPCAN Preliminary investigation Not all children in need of care and protection need to be referred to the children’s court. A discussion is needed on whether there is a need for a preliminary investigation before a child is referred to the children’s court. A preliminary investigation would - Determine the need for a children’s court inquiry Other relevant protective measures Alleviate pressure on the children’s courts	Ms N Ned
13h10-13h50	LUNCH - TO BE SERVED AT VENUE 2.4-2.6
13h50 –14h20	Mr July Nkutha - Disabled Children’s Action Group Children with disabilities and chronic diseases - Need to determine to what extent should the Bill cater for the needs of disabled children	Ms N Ned
14h20-14h50	Questions for clarity	Ms N Ned
14h50-15h20	Commissioner J Kollapan- SA Human Rights Commission Children with disabilities - Need to determine to what extent should the Bill cater for the needs of disabled children. Children’s Rights - The question of whether it is necessary/advisable to list children's rights in the introductory chapter, given the fact that these rights are already guaranteed in the constitution.
15h20-15h50	Questions for clarity	Ms N Ned
15h50-16h20	Dr Jackie Lofell The question whether auxiliary workers, child and youth care workers and community care-givers should work under the supervision of a social worker. The whole area of how to deal with child-headed households (CHHs).	Ms N Ned
16h20-16h50	Questions for clarity
16h50-17h20	Ms Debbie Le Pan – Wynberg’s Children’s Court Preliminary investigation Not all children in need of care and protection need to be referred to the children’s court. A discussion is needed on whether there is a need for a preliminary investigation before a child is referred to the children’s court. A preliminary investigation would - Determine the need for a children’s court inquiry Other relevant protective measures Alleviate pressure on the children’s courts	Ms N Ned
17h20	VOTE OF THANKS	Mrs TJ Tshivhase – Chairperson – PC on Social Development