Alarming footage of a government official beating a child with his belt has surfaced on the web.
According to News24, the incident occurred this past November and has been reported to Western Cape Correctional Services as the man caught in the act is a Western Cape Correctional Services official.
The man has since been removed from the post and the matter is currently under investigation by Wynberg police in Cape Town.
As far as discipline goes, South African law has clearly stipulated its stance on what is and isn't tolerable and yet these kinds of videos are rife on social media.
For the past 21 years, corporal punishment has been forbidden in South African schools, prohibited by the National Education Policy Act of 1996 which asserts that "no person shall administer corporal punishment or subject a student to psychological or physical abuse at any educational institution."
This past October, Parent24 publicised the high court judgment deeming any form of physical punishment or psychological humiliation from parent to child illegal.
Far from an isolated happening, one has to wonder: how much more can be done to convince South Africans that violence against children will no longer be tolerated?
Read more:
- No more smacking: thinking big picture or micromanaging? Our readers respond
- 4 shocking facts about violence against children
- Is there a right way to discipline?
Are your children still being hit/assaulted by authorities? Share your story by emailing to chatback@parent.com and we could publish your letter. Do let us know if you'd like to stay anonymous.
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