Huge disparities in the living conditions of black and white infants are highlighted in a report released by Statistics South Africa. The document, titled South Africas Young Children: Their Parents and Home Environment 2012, was tabled in Pretoria by Statistician General Pali Lehohla. Released almost 20 years after South Africas first fully-democratic elections, it warns of the continuous racial differences in the country among the very young, and the consequences this holds for the future The report says the results highlighted that children from the black African and the coloured population groups were perpetually disadvantaged when compared to those from the Indian/Asian and the white population. It offers, as examples, access by various households with young children to fresh water and sanitation. For example, the majority of households with young children from the white (93.7%) and Indian/Asian (97%) population groups had piped water inside the house/dwelling, whereas 77.9% and only 27.1%of children from the coloured and black populations groups respectively had access to the same source. On sanitation, the report finds that only 40.2%of black infants lived in a home with a flush toilet, a convenience enjoyed by almost all their white and Indian counterparts, and almost 90% of young coloured children. On access to health care for under five-year-olds, the report shows only 11.7% of white infants lived in households that used public hospitals or clinics. The majority of young children from the black African (82.8%) and coloured (66%) population groups lived in households that used public hospitals or clinics, whereas the majority of those from the Indian/Asian and white population groups mainly used private doctors (55.4% and 65.2% respectively). The reports authors call for more targeted policies to correct the countrys racial disparities. These conditions illustrate that the legacy of apartheid is still entrenched in the South African society, and thus policies targeted at correcting racial disparities remain a key priority for realising the rights of children. The document also examines the mothers and fathers of South Africas young children, including their marital status by population group. It finds that while the majority of Indian and white mothers are legally married (85% and 82.7% respectively), less than half of coloured mothers (44.6%) and about a quarter of black mothers (24.9%) are legally married. THEY WILL CLAIM THAT FOR THE NEXT 500 YEARS . THEY WILL DISREGARD THAT MOST COUNTRIES ON EARTH WERE AT ONE STAGE OCCUPIED OR COLONISED .
Posted on: Tue, 19 Nov 2013 07:59:42 +0000
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