Press Release
Immediate release
11 November 2022
A Mpumalanga mother received 22 years in prison after the murder and burial of her newborn daughter. It is reported that this was due to her unwillingness to care for the child.
In this alarming case of infanticide, the harsh reality of South Africans in the grip of poverty is laid bare. We see a mother who is in a crisis situation due to the difficulty of caring for children in the current climate.
“Life is becoming harder and people are desperate. We can’t attempt to whitewash the crime here but we have to look at the circumstances surrounding it”, says Anneke Burns, a communications specialist in the NGO sector.
“Having worked with NGOs, I’m aware that the sector possesses a wide variety of skilled professionals who can deliver interventions that might mean the difference between improving and destroying lives”, she added.
According to Burns, government needs support in addressing the ills in society. The reach, capacity, and mandates of NGOs need to be widened to help reach people, and communities, in crisis.
I have written to the Ministry of Social Development to inquire about the scope of involvement of NGOs across the various sectors of government.
Ends
Media enquiries
Anneke Burns
NGO Communications Specialist
0714230079