Legislature paves way to appoint Christina Nomdo as Western Cape Commissioner of Children

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Cape Town - While the field started with 59 candidates, Christina Nomdo is expected to be appointed as the Western Cape Commissioner of Children. Nomdo was recommended by the Standing Committee on Social Development after shortlisted candidates were interviewed over three days from February 18-20. The recommendation by the Standing Committee on Social Development was approved in the Western Cape legislature on Thursday. Nomdo has been serving as the child rights specialist Commissioner on the National Planning Commission (NPC) for the last 4 years. During this time, she has conducted a child participation initiative to get feedback directly from children about how the National Development Plan (NDP) should be reviewed to include the perspectives of children. Therefore, in 2017 and 2018, Christina worked with government and civil society partners in the children’s sector to conduct workshops with children in all nine provinces of South Africa. On a recommendation received from a child in the February 2017 stakeholders’ meeting, she also conducted workshops with especially vulnerable children – those in prisons, in state care and children with disabilities in special schools.

From 2009 to 2017 Christina Nomdo was the Executive Director of Resources Aimed at the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (RAPCAN), a child rights organisation focused on building child violence prevention practice models.

The Western Cape Commissioner of Children is empowered in terms of the Act to monitor, investigate, research, and educate the public about, lobby for and advise on, matters pertaining to children in the province.

Furthermore, the Commissioner must assist the Western Cape Government in protecting and promoting the interests of children in the province, in particular in relation to health services, education, welfare services, recreation and amenities, and sport.

The Commissioner must also report to the Western Cape Provincial Parliament on measures taken by the Western Cape Government to protect and promote the interests of children in the province.

Gillion Bosman, Chairperson of the standing committee said: “The committee is proud to announce that after 8 months of hard work that included extensive public participation, a shortlisting process and a public interview process we are now recommending a candidate for appointment to the premier.

"The next step in this process is that Premier Alan Winde must consider the recommendation and make the final appointment. We are proud of the work we have done to fill this important office and we look forward to the contribution of the commissioner.”

According to statistics released back in August by the provincial government revealed that 989 children were murdered between 2013 and 2018.

The number equals approximately four children being murdered in the province every week. According to an analysis of child murders in the province presented by the Department of Social Development, between April 1, 2013 and March 31 2018, more than 781 children between the ages of 13 and 17 were killed, as were 76 between the ages of six and 12 and 128 between the ages of 0 and five.