Deputy minister of Home Affairs, Malusi Gigaba will launch the "Friends of the Child" campaign in Kimberley on Thursday as part of a nationwide campaign to fight child pornography in the country.
The campaign forms part of a declaration made by delegates at the National Conference against Child Pornography, held in Port Elizabeth this year.
The "Friends of the Child: unite against child pornography" campaign will tackle all elements of child abuse, including online child pornography.
Breaking the online child pornography cycle is a challenge, as offenders use complex methods to distribute pornographic material, says Madiba Thabethe, spokesperson for the deputy minister.
"Since the Internet is generally used by perpetrators to distribute pornographic material, the government is regulating local Internet service providers to help eradicate the problem."
Citizen`s involvement
"The government has introduced legislation, including the Films and Publication Act, that compels citizens to report anyone involved in the production, distribution or possession of child porn," says Thabethe.
Children need to be alerted at an early age to what child porn is, how it affects them and how they should protect themselves, he says.
He confirms that child pornography in SA is "definitely on the rise" and drastic action has to be taken to increase the capacity of the investigations and prosecution of the offenders. The minimum sentence for offenders is 10 years, he says.
A task force has been formed to act as an advisory committee for the ministers in tackling this problem, says Thabethe.
To report cases of child porn, contact the child hotline on 0800 148 148.
Share
