Knowing your basic human rights as a child
Cape Town - This month, South Africans celebrated Human Rights Day.
As a child, your rights are also protected and that includes having a right to shelter, education or a family environment.
According to the Western Cape Government, children’s rights are entrenched in Section 28 in the Bill of Rights in the Constitution of South Africa and being a child means that you are under the age of 18.
They state that every child has the right to:
* The right to family care, love and protection and the responsibility to show love, respect and caring to others especially the elderly.
* The right to a clean environment and the responsibility to take care of their environment by cleaning the space they live in.
* A right to food and the responsibility not to be wasteful.
* A right to good quality education and the responsibility to learn and respect their teachers and peers.
* A right to quality medical care and the responsibility to take care of themselves and protect themselves from irresponsible exposure to diseases such as HIV/Aids.
* A right to protection from exploitation and neglect and the responsibility to report abuse and exploitation.
* Not be used directly in armed conflict, and to be protected in times of armed conflict.