The Nelson Mandela Children’s Parliament Reaches a Decade

By Zamajozi Sithole, Project Officer for the NMCF Youth Leadership Programme
Established: 2011 – Gauteng Legislature
Established by: Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund
 
The NMCP programme was established to celebrate the values, principles and commitment of Mr Nelson Mandela to the children of South Africa, by giving children meaningful opportunities to participate, direct and influence decisions made on their behalf or in their best interest. Over the past 10 years, the hosting of the NMCP rotated across all provinces to create an opportunity for the children of South Africa to participate equally.
 
The theme for the upcoming children’s Parliament is:  “Accountability to enhance the voices and rights of children during COVID-19 and beyond.” The theme acknowledges that the state is responsible to protect, respect and promote the rights of children and need to account and report to children on progress made in this regard.
 
The Objectives are:

• For duty bearers to report back to children on the outcomes of the 2019 NMCP and to build greater accountability to children and their caregivers through co-operative relationships between children and their elected representatives, key civil society stakeholders and business.
• To capacitate children to be active agents, not passive recipients of policy, legislation and oversight processes that involve and affect them.
• To develop sustainable mechanisms for the implementation of legislation and policy in partnership with children to advance the rights of children.
• To heighten advocacy by building an understanding of how national, regional, and international treaties, conventions, protocols link together, complement, and support the promotion and protection of children’s rights, children
• To understand and respond to the experiences of during COVID-19.

Here is a short link to the inaugural NMCP that took place 10 years ago at the Gauteng Legislature:

​ Ten years later, we find ourselves back where it all began, i.e. Gauteng Province