Evaluating the Rights of Children and Young People in Africa: The Policies and Practices in South Africa

South Africa is not an exception to Africa’s several policies and legislative frameworks that seek to promote and protect children, and young people, respectively. While on the one hand, the majority of children and young people are protected by these policies and legislation, the reality on the other hand is that many live-in debilitating situations in various parts of the continent including South Africa. Regrettably, there is a lasting uncertainty surrounding some of these pieces of legislation and policies set out explicitly to promote and protect children’s and young people’s rights at the global and national levels, despite several laudable policies and legislations. Thus, the study reflected on these policies and practices with special reference to South Africa. Using a qualitative analysis approach, this chapter has examined some of the national policies and other legislative instruments as to how they have promoted, protected, or truncated the rights of children and young people in the country. The study as a matter of urgency calls for an all-inclusive strategy that factors income generation, access to education, etc., as a way forward. Thereafter, some recommendations as to curbing this malady such as the establishment of a national commission on the rights of children and young people with a legislative mandate to constantly monitor and evaluate children and young people’s rights violations and handle complaints, among others are advanced.