Cape Town - Around 63 percent of births registered in 2018 had no information on fathers. This does not particularly mean that the father is not present in the child’s life. However, research has shown that most children in South Africa have absent fathers.
The General Household Survey 2018 by Stats SA revealed that, 43.1 percent of children lived only with their mothers while a much smaller percentage (3,3%) of children lived only with their fathers in 2018.
Ilitha Labantu’s spokesperson Siyabulela Monakali said: “It impacts greatly on a child. Most of the cases we get here shows that absent fathers is a big issue. We see that in cases of child maintenance. Also, there are so many influences in a child’s life from drug abuse to gangsterism. With all these influences, it would be great for fathers to step up.”
Ilitha Labantu deals with an estimated 20 cases of child maintenance per month said Monakali.
Children going through various stages in their lives and the need for both parents is essential. This sentiment does not downplay the work of single-parent mothers but it is rather a cry for a traditional family structure.
Monakali added that irrespective of the separation or conflict between two parents, there’s no excuse for fathers to not be in their child’s life.
Research conducted by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) and the South African Race Relations Institute (SARRI) over a period of 5 years showed that 60% of SA children have absent fathers. More than 40 percent of South African mothers are single parents.