A court battle this week has put the spotlight on one of South Africa’s most heartbreaking realities — abandoned babies. Organisations like Baby Savers SA and Door of Hope have long offered desperate parents a safe, anonymous way to leave infants in the hope they’ll be protected, cared for, and eventually adopted

About this episode

The episode discusses a court battle regarding the legality of baby saver boxes in South Africa and the implications for child protection.

A court battle this week has put the spotlight on one of South Africa’s most heartbreaking realities — abandoned babies. Organisations like Baby Savers SA and Door of Hope have long offered desperate parents a safe, anonymous way to leave infants in the hope they’ll be protected, cared for, and eventually adopted. But those lifelines came under threat after the Gauteng Department of Social Development accused the organisations of operating illegally, arguing that baby saver boxes violate the Children’s Act and warning that they could be shut down. The matter has now landed in court, raising urgent questions about the law, child protection, and what happens when desperation meets bureaucracy.  Guest: Tahiyya Hassim: Founding Member of Baby Savers SA & Founder & Director of New BeginningZ, Guest: Karabo Ozah: Director, Centre For Child Law

People in this episode

Guests: Tahiyya Hassim, Karabo Ozah

Topics covered

• abandoned babies
• child protection
• legal issues
• social services
• parenting
• bureaucracy

Keywords

• abandoned babies
• Baby Savers SA
• Door of Hope
• Gauteng Department of Social Development
• Children’s Act
• child protection
• bureaucracy

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Baby Savers SA, Door of Hope, Centre For Child Law

Places: Gauteng

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