Childrens Commissioner WC

We would like to express our gratitude to the learners, teachers, and local organisations in the Saldanha Bay Municipality for welcoming us to their communities. Last week, we hosted successful community child rights workshops with schoolchildren, child rights organisations, and the police in the Municipality. During these workshops, we listened to children's lived realities, their concerns regarding government services rendered and noted their recommendations.

The Childrens Commissioner WC extends heartfelt gratitude to all the children, parents, service providers, and stakeholders who participated in the workshops. A special thank you to everyone who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure the success of these engagements.

SALDANHA BAY MUNICIPALITY COMMUNITY CHILD RIGHTS WORKSHOP:

From 24th to 28th August, the Childrens Commissioner WC will be hosting a series of Community Child Rights Workshops (CCRWs) in the Saldanha Bay Municipality. The Commissioner will engage with children, parents, and service providers in the child protection sector, as well as various CBOs and NGOs, in Saldanha, Langebaan, St Helena Bay, Paternoster, Hopefield, and surrounding areas.

The CCRW initiative is a fantastic opportunity for the Office to connect with the community, understand their challenges, listen to children’s worries and dreams, and gather recommendations for improving government services.

We look forward to these meaningful engagements and to making progress toward realising children's rights in the Municipality.

WATCH: Today, the Childrens Commissioner WC appeared before the Standing Committee on Premier and Constitutional Matters to provide an update on the Office’s progress since taking office on October 1 of last year. Today marks eight months since Sarah Roberts assumed the role of Childrens Commissioner WC

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8upEdNmJ1J0

WATCH: The Childrens Commissioner WC continues to strengthen public awareness and advocacy for children’s rights by participating in public engagements.

The Childrens Commissioner WC is featured on the 12th episode of the Western Cape Government Health and Wellness Masithethe Parenting Programme series on YouTube.

The series is aimed at supporting parents and caregivers to build stronger, healthier relationships with their adolescents. In this episode, focused on the topic “How can we work together to be stronger for adolescents in the Western Cape?”, the Commissioner discusses the implications of violence and crime, including peer influence and gang involvement, and how these realities are increasingly becoming normalised in many communities.

The Commissioner also participated as a panelist at the Metro Lives Dialogue, convened by Change Ideas, Hold My Hand and KfW Cities for Children. The dialogue forms part of a new series of public conversations exploring the role municipalities can play in creating the conditions for children and families to thrive

Masithethe Parenting Programme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2Ybyf4l7uU

Metro Lives Dialogue: https://youtu.be/-exj1dsIXcs

PART 2: Drakenstein Municipality Awareness Campaign

PART 1: Drakenstein Municipality Awareness Campaign

We are grateful to the residents of Paarl, Wellington and Embekweni in the Drakenstein Municipality who came out to meet with us as we embarked on our awareness campaign. We also extend heartfelt gratitude to the local organisations working with children and the support shown by the Departments of Health and Wellness, Education and Social Development in the area.

The office of the Western Cape Commissioner for Children visited these communities from 21 to 23 July 2026 to raise awareness about the institution and its mandate, focus on child rights in society, and connect directly with the realities of children's lives within that Municipality.

We are excited to kickstart our awareness campaign in the Drakestein Municipality this month. From 21 to 23 July 2026, the office of the Childrens Commissioner WC is visiting the communities of Paarl, Wellington and Mbekweni and surrounding areas to engage with various stakeholders.

We can't wait to meet you!!

We are excited to share the sixth edition of our vibrant, biannual newsletter. This is the first edition in the second term of the Childrens Commissioner WC. In this edition, we share highlights from our community child rights feedback workshops held in the Witzenberg Municipality, our unannounced visits to CYCCs and ECD centres in the Eden Karoo Municipality, and more. The newsletter is published in three languages: English, Afrikaans and isiXhosa.

Download the newsletter from the link below:

https://fromsmash.com/~nF5FG6Dva-ct

JOIN OUR TEAM!!

The office of the Childrens Commissioner WC currently has three additional vacancies available. These opportunities include an Administrative Support Officer role and Assistant Director positions situated within the Monitoring and Awareness branch.

Closing date for applications: 27 July 2026

Click on the link below to apply online.
https://westerncapegov.erecruit.co/candidateapp/Jobs/Categories/Department_of_the_Premier/67ee773fd0bc4a54b8b55448ebd618e2