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Viewing cable 08JOHANNESBURG194, SOUTH AFRICA'S CHILD ABUSE REGISTRY NOT YET OPERATIONAL

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
08JOHANNESBURG194 2008-12-04 15:09 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED Consulate Johannesburg
P 041509Z DEC 08
FM AMCONSUL JOHANNESBURG
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6343
INFO AMCONSUL CAPE TOWN PRIORITY 
AMCONSUL DURBAN PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY PRETORIA PRIORITY 
AMCONSUL JOHANNESBURG
UNCLAS JOHANNESBURG 000194 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: CVIS CASC KOCI CMGT
SUBJECT: SOUTH AFRICA'S CHILD ABUSE REGISTRY NOT YET OPERATIONAL 
 
REF: STATE 121873 
 
1.  South Africa does not have a searchable registry or database 
of substantiated cases of child abuse and neglect.  In a 
December 4, 2008, telcon, Selema Mashiane, a Social Worker in 
the Child Protection Unit of the Department of Social 
Development (DoSD), explained to Conoff that the DoSD was in the 
process of developing such a registry in conjunction with the 
Department of Justice and the South African Police Service.  He 
emphasized that this electronic registry would maintain an 
active list of victims and convicted perpetrators of child 
abuse.  "The list will be searchable by social workers and those 
working in child protection related agencies across South 
Africa," according to Mashiane. 
 
2.  Although South Africa does not yet have a searchable 
registry of substantiated cases of child abuse, the DoSD does 
maintain an electronic database of children who have suffered 
from child abuse.  This registry is Microsoft Word-based and 
uses an electronic form to capture the locations and names of 
potentially abused children, their parents, and/or their 
caretakers.  The DoSD's Child Protection Unit started the 
database in 2006 and has collected approximately 17,000 names to 
date.  Mashiane said that the DoSD's provincial offices provide 
monthly updates to this national list, adding approximately 
1,000 names to the list each month.  DoSD system administrators 
can search the 17,000-name list, but the names do not reflect 
convictions or a list of perpetrators of child abuse/neglect. 
Mashiane drew a clear distinction between the DoSD database in 
existence and the searchable registry of child abuse that the 
DoSD was currently developing with its partners to track child 
abuse convictions. 
 
PASSEN