The DA has received confirmation that the South African Human Rights Commission (HRC) will investigate the failure of government departments to implement the Child Protection Register (CPR).

The investigation is a result of a formal submission to the HRC by the DA on 7 August 2012 to request an investigation into the failure of the Department of Social Development to implement Part A and Part B of the CPR.

The CPR falls under the ambit of the Children's Act. Its purpose is to protect children from people found to have abused or neglected a child, and who have been deemed unsuitable to work with children.

The CPR is meant to list all people deemed unsuitable to work with children as a result of previous convictions for child abuse - with the responsibility of updating the list falling to the National Departments of Social Development and Justice and Constitutional Development

The register has however been in complete disarray from the start.

Contradictory information regarding the number of names on the CPR and a fundamental failure to update it have completely undermined the credibility of the CPR and sabotaged a key tool in protecting our children.

The DA therefore welcomes the HRC investigation into the dysfunctional administration of the CPR and will monitor the progress of the investigation.

Mike Waters, Shadow Minister of Social Development