Public hearings into the Children\u2019s Amendment Bill have been suspended until further notice, Parliament\u2019s Portfolio Committee on Social Development has announced.<\/P>
Committee chairperson Mondli Gungubele said the postponement of public hearings is an important step in the context of President Cyril Ramaphosa\u2019s pronouncement to move the country to lockdown Level 3.<\/P>
\u201cThe committee is always mindful of the COVID-19 outbreak. The numbers are reportedly increasing at an alarming rate, and the committee cannot afford to expose our people to the dangers of COVID-19,\u201d Gungubele said on Wednesday.<\/P>
Gungubele said public hearings by nature, as evidenced in Limpopo and Mpumalanga, mean a huge turnout of people in a confined space.<\/P>
\u201cAs much as the committee complies with all COVID-19 protocols and prevention measures, one cannot guarantee 100% safety,\u201d Gungubele said.<\/P>
The public hearings were scheduled to take place in the North West, KwaZulu-Natal, and the Eastern Cape in the next four weeks.<\/P>
The Children\u2019s Amendment Bill intends to improve services for children and ensure that their welfare is adequately taken care of.<\/P>
The bill seeks to introduce the definition of \u201csexual offence\u201d as a way of aligning the Children\u2019s Act with the Sexual Offences Act.<\/P>
It also proposes creating a \u201cdeeming\u201d provision in the Children\u2019s Act that makes it easier to find adult offenders unsuitable to work with children. \u2013<\/P>
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Source: South African Government News Agency<\/P>
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