Times Of Swaziland: TOO MANY STREET CHILDREN

TOO MANY STREET CHILDREN
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The editor on 31/03/2014 05:27:00


Sir,
There is a huge barrier on our way to achieving His Majesty’s Vision 2022 if
the so called ‘mdodi boys’ and street kids or children on the streets are
spreading all over, like veld fires.
On a serious note, I am still wondering as to how the parents of these children
go about nurturing them because it is an indubitable fact that these children
also come from various homes.
I think the problem here erupts from their foundation, which are the parents.
Really, how can one find themselves on the streets doing what they can really
not explain? It is saddening and needs urgent attention from relevant
organisations, ministries and the parents themselves.
If this issue can be sorted out, crime can decline greatly because many of these
youngsters contribute to crime and many of them are drug addicts. Being on the
streets, they showcase their lack of education, parental advice, humanity and
wisdom.
They then develop the nature of animals which results in them being arrested,
admitted to the psychiatric centre and, because of ingesting poisonous food from
the bins, they get sick and as a result some die.
This is a process and not just an event. On that note, I would like to urge all
parents to make every means to avoid having such children, because the country
is going nowhere if we still have such people.
We are still looking forward to the First World in 2022, so now is the right
time to get ready.
We are absolutely not ready with this situation. It may seem to be minor but it
is a major obstacle to the country’s development.
Mangaliso Smanga Shongwe, Gundvwini-Emvongotsini