Premier

I am in formed by the Office of the Children Commissioner:

[a] The Office of the Children’s Commissioner has held  workshops with 25 communities  since its inception in 2020.

[b] The Western Cape Commissioner for Children [WCCC] was appointed into office on 1 June 2020. Between October 2020 and March 2022 the workshops were held in the following municipalities:

Matzikama : 29 Oct – 2 November 2020

Bergrivier : 8 – 12 November 2020

Hessequa : 23 – 31 March 2021

George : 17-19 October 2021

Bitou : 19 – 23 October 2021

Prince Albert : 2 – 6 November 2021

Beaufort West : 7 – 11 March 2022

[c] In July 2022, the WCCC conducted the first round of feedback to children in the Matzikama municipality based on the West Coast’s report. The Commissioner hosted a meeting with child representatives from the areas in Matzikama to deliver the responses from the Departments of Cultural Affairs and Sport, Health, Education, and Social Development.

The Commissioner will continue with feedback reporting to children until all municipalities visited thus far receive responses from the relevant WCG departments.

[d][i] Since the WCCC took office in June 2020 to date, 169 child government monitors [CGMs] have been appointed.

[ii] Since the WCCC took office in June 2020 to date, the child government monitors have been part of many projects, as highlighted in the table below:

2020	2021	2022
Submission to United Nations on the list of issues prior to reporting Submission on the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement Cancel the rewrite campaign Submission to the African Union Peer Review Mechanism comprising of four position statements on education as a youth development strategy Submission for the Children’s Amendment Bill Attended European Network of Ombudspersons for Children Annual Conference virtually	Presented at National Parliament at the closed hearing session for children and vulnerable youth. Embarked on Strategic litigation project with the University of Pretoria and University of Nottingham Submission to Provincial Parliament focusing on the suitability of public representatives, case study Kannaland Mayor Officers in the office presented the CGM submission above at the public hearings of Children’s Amendment Bill in Khayelitsha. Attended virtual European Network of Ombudspersons for Children Annual Conference	Strategic Planning camp between the WCCC and CGM Submission to Provincial Parliament on the Basic Education Laws Amendment Bill Completed a public budget monitoring training from a child’s rights approach, hosted by the WCCC CGM presentation at the pre-session meeting to inform Universal Periodic Review on Human Rights by the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland

[e) The Western Cape Children’s Commissioner [including the child government monitors] are supported by the provincial fiscus. The Commissioner acts independently but is administratively supported by the Department of the Premier with the Director-General as the Accounting Officer.