Posts by Robyn
An open letter to a racist
by Robyn Wolfson Vorster Dear Penny, We have never met but I have known you my whole life. I’ve seen you in shops and on public transport, you have sidled up to me at parties, you even appeared at extended family gatherings when I was a child. Perhaps you thought I was happy to chat, to hear you...
Dear Innocents, we failed you
by Robyn Wolfson Vorster An open letter to aborted twin girls. Dear Innocents, Today could have been your birthday. Instead it marks a month since your mother aborted you, placed you in a plastic bag and left you under a “safe abortions” sign. Now I think about you every day. So many questions remain unanswered: Why did your...
Without a trace: the shocking fate of SA’s abandoned children
by Robyn Wolfson Vorster Researching child abandonment in South Africa is akin to opening Pandora’s box. Coupled as it is with illegal, late-term abortion, the body count (when you can find them) amounts to tens of thousands. It could be many times that amount; perhaps we would know if the government was ever prepared to count them. Criminal activity...
Ubuntu and the debate over child protection
by Robyn Wolfson Vorster Recent public comment days for the Children’s Amendment Bills brought a stark reminder that many sectors of government still believe that ubuntu is the panacea for all of our orphans’ ills. Ubuntu, by definition, is about our humanity to others. In the context of child protection, it is epitomised by community-based care and the principle...
The great adoption process power struggle
by Robyn Wolfson Vorster Since the advent of the Children’s Act in 2005, adopting a child in South Africa has become a bit like a Mission impossible adventure set in the Big Brother house: it is the ultimate ‘against the odds’ undertaking but also characterised by invasive scrutiny, and weeks and months that pass where absolutely nothing happens. Thanks...
Lies, Damned Lies and statistics: Unravelling SA’s child trafficking condundrum
by Robyn Wolfson Vorster In modern society there are few things as truly evil as human trafficking, especially when it involves children, and Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba’s argument for those afflicted by the scourge is compelling. But his supposed solution has once again been called into question along with the statistical basis for the plan. It begs the...
Abandoned children, South Africa’s dirty little secret
by Robyn Wolfson Vorster Around 3,500 children are abandoned in South Africa annually. News of yet another child found dead or left in a precarious position elicits strong public condemnation and emotion. Public consensus on the issue of child abandonment generally provokes a knee-jerk response to blame and demonise mothers. But despite our deeply felt beliefs, research has indicated...
Cry, the Beloved Children
By Robyn Wolfson Vorster Child Protection Week has come and gone. If you failed to notice, you’re not alone. Given other pressing issues like fire-pools, football and financial rewards, it wasn’t highlighted very well. These days government seems to be too busy defending itself to also be defending our vulnerable children. In the context of the $10million alleged...