GAUTENG CITY REGION CHILDREN SAFETY CAMPAIGN
Channel: Dr Colbert Mukwevho
Date: 2016-11-21

GAUTENG CITY REGION CHILDREN SAFETY CAMPAIGN
The Gauteng Department of Community Safety in partnership with Stacey Fru Foundation will be hosting a Children Safety Campaign in various Primary Schools in the province to raise awareness about the importance of the safety of children during Festive Season and beyond.
The first phase of the campaign will start on Monday, 21 November 2016 at Protea South Primary School at 09am and then proceed to Toekomsrus Primary School at 11am. 
According to research, one child is raped in South Africa every three minutes and over the period 2006/07 to 2010/11, the number of child murders in South Africa varied between 843 and 1 015 per year while the number of attempted murders ranged from 782 to 1 113.
Parents have a meaningful role to play to ensure safety of their children. It is important for them to always prepare their children for basic safety steps in the case of any eventuality.
SAFETY TIPS: 
Do not eat anything given by a stranger:
You need to teach your children about the dangers of eating food that is given by a stranger. No matter how tempting it is, if it comes from a stranger, your children should not eat it. Teach your children that it is dangerous to accept food from anyone. Ask them to politely refuse in case someone is offering food without your consent or in your absence.
Never go anywhere with a stranger:
Your children should know that no matter what the reasoning, it is not safe to go anywhere with a stranger. Tell your children that if a stranger tells them something like ‘Your mom asked you to come with me immediately,’ they should stay where they are and shout out for help.
Do not walk outside the yard alone:
Similar to the point above, your children should know that it is not permissible to walk out of your yard alone. If your children need to go out for anything, you should be accompanying them at all times.
No one is allowed to touch your child:
This is a very important safety rule for children and you should teach about it as soon as your child can understand the basics. Teach about good touch and bad touch. Tell your child that no one is allowed to touch him/her except their parents, if needed. If anyone else has touched your child, he/she should immediately shout for help and alert people around.
If you get lost, stay where you are:
In the event that your child gets lost, tell them it is important they stay right where they are. If they see any other mom with kids nearby, they can ask her for help. Your child should stay inside the place and not go out, even with the other mom. Most common places where children get lost are malls or shopping centers. Tell your children that they can walk up to the counter of the store and tell the person they are lost.
Playing near the pool or shallow water is not allowed:
Whether or not you are at home, your kid should know that it is absolutely not allowed to play near unsecured pool or shallow water . Only if you are around and have given your permission can your children do that. Do not distract yourself with other activities when your child is near a pool or shallow water.