S. African President Disgusted by Child Abuse: Spokesman

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, November 27, 2001

S. African President Disgusted by Child Abuse: Spokesman

South African President Thabo Mbeki was disgusted by the recent spate of child abuse incidents, including the weekend rapes of an eight-month old baby and a two-year-old girl, a presidential spokesman said on Monday.

"The president -- like the government as a whole -- feels a deep sense of disgust. We call on the community and the law enforcement agencies to ensure the perpetrators are brought to book," presidential spokesman Bheki Khumalo said. On claims that Mbeki's controversial AIDS views had helped fuelthe myth that the disease could be cured through sex with a baby or virgin, he said: "They are talking nonsense."

Mbeki has allegedly refused to accept the traditional view that the HIV virus caused AIDS. "The president is very committed to this kind of issue. I don't know why people want to use the issue as a party political football," he said. Khumalo said Mbeki had spoken out against child abuse in a recent speech in the National Council of Provinces and had through a cabinet statement also expressed the government's concern about the latest spate of rapes.

Earlier this month, the Coalition for Children's Rights, challenged the government to break its silence on child abuse. "When our president says that HIV doesn't cause AIDS, knowing the myth that HIV-positive men believe they will be cured if they have sex with a baby, or virgin, what message are we sending to the country?", the organization reportedly said.

In a statement last week, the cabinet expressed its "deep emotional dismay at the incidents of child rape and abuse and resolved it was the government's responsibility "to give leadership on how these matters should be tackled". "The challenge in this regard includes ensuring that legislation is strengthened where required; calling on the judiciary to ensure that existing laws on bail and minimum sentences are observed; as well as intensifying campaigns to spread the message that this government would not tolerate abuse of children and any other citizens," the statement said. Justice Minister Penuell Maduna has also condemned child abuse in a statement, while Social Development Minister Dr Zola Skweyiya joined a march in Cape Town on Sunday opposing violence against women and children, Khumalo said.

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