Children bear the brunt of gun violence
Gun violence in the Western Cape is a concerning issue, which is mostly linked to gang violence and drug crimes[1]. Children bear the brunt of gun violence; they would get unintentional injuries or deaths often as a result of getting caught in gang crossfire.
Media Monitoring Africa (MMA) applauds Weekend Argus for highlighting the issue at hand however the article missed an opportunity[2] for its failure to access children on issues that concerns them.
The article titled, “The impact of firearm violence on children in the Western Cape” (21/02/2025) talks about the impact firearm violence has on children. It is said in that article between 1 and 11 February 2025, 2694 cases of assault-related injuries with 132 involving firearms. This is not only a form of abuse but a pandemic.
Various people have been accessed in the articles within Western Cape health department and community organisation, however children who are not victims of firearm violence could have been accessed to make the story more impactful. Affording children a platform to speak in the media also emboldens them to express themselves more frequently on issues that affect them and guarantees that they are active participants in wanting change in their communities.
MMA is of the view that if the media are going to report stories that have a central focus on children, then the children must be extensively quoted to share their perspectives. Of course, this must be done only when it is in the children’s best interest to speak. In this article, it was in the children’s best interest to share their views.
It’s essential to recognise that South Africa is a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).[3] Article 12 of the Convention emphasises that “a child capable of forming their own opinions has the right to express those opinions in all matters affecting them, and to have their views given due weight in accordance with their age and maturity”. South Africa signed the Convention in 1993 and ratified it on the 16th of June 1995.[4] Therefore, including a statement from children would have transcended the articles to great journalism as best practice when reporting on children.
MMA would like to encourage Weekend Argus to continue reporting on such issues but remember to include children’s voices when the articles is in their best interest.
Written by Msizi Mzolo
Edited by Ntombifuthi Kubeka
[1] https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2024-09-08-crime-stats-deadly-guns-and-gangs-combo-still-plagues-western-cape/
[2] A missed opportunity is a story in which children, for instance, should have been accessed but were not.
[3] https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/convention-rights-child
[4] https://www.unicef.org/southafrica/media/1431/file/ZAF-Periodic-country-report-on-the-UN-CRC-2014.pdf