He traverses dangerous terrain across the length and breadth of the Eastern Cape dealing with heartbreaking cases, but Petros Majola remains resolute in fighting for the rights of vulnerable children – particularly in the rural areas.
Majola said he was passionate about his job.
“My staff and I are not driven by financial benefits but the willingness to serve those in need,” he said.
“I want to spend the last years of my life building a legacy, investing in the future of our children.
“I am passionate about the issues affecting the rural areas.”
Majola, 54, is the director of a Peddie-based child advocacy group, Khula Community Development Project.
The establishment of the group in 2008 was a response to uncertainty ahead of the 2010 Fifa World Cup hosted by SA.
At that stage, Majola said, there was so much distorted information in the country, especially in rural areas, that he decided to do something to allay the fears of the public.
“There was talk of trafficking of children and decriminalising prostitution. Children had to be protected.”
Majola and his team of 11 handle difficult and complex matters in the community and get calls from as far as Gauteng, Durban and Cape Town.
These are about a wide range of matters, including deceased estates, placing children at schools, helping children thrown out of school because their parents are unable to pay fees, and helping indigent families to obtain birth certificates and child grants.
“Sometimes I get to bed quite late but I have to be up by 5.30am,” Majola said.
“From there, I go straight into the field and attend to cases or engage with stakeholders.
“On Sundays, I leave in the middle of a church service to attend to those who are in distress. I do not have a holiday.”
He also delves into ukuthwala, the controversial traditional practice of abducting young girls and forcing them into marriage, often with the consent of their parents.
He recalled how he received a call relating to the plight of a 14-year-old girl allegedly abducted in Dutywa and how she was later rescued from an arranged marriage.
During the investigation, Majola said he found that the would-be husband was from Mvezo but worked in Gauteng.
The man only returned home during the summer holidays, which was when he identified his bride.
Lobola was then negotiated with the mother of the girl.
“I vividly remember receiving an anonymous call in December 2017 saying a girl was being abducted in Dutywa and forced into an arranged marriage. We managed to remove her with the assistance of social workers and placed her at an alternative place of care.”
A criminal case involving the matter is under way.
Majola said he was shocked a week ago when he visited a school in Mthatha and saw three girls dressed in makoti (dresses for newlyweds).
“When I inquired of the principal about the circumstances of these girls, he informed me that the trio were victims of arranged marriages which happened when they were still minors,” he said.
“They are now 18 and have children of their own.
“The young mothers are still pupils at that particular school.
“But the principal expects them to change from makoti attire and put on school uniforms whenever they are on the school premises.
“I will return to Mthatha to get to the bottom of this.”
Born and bred in Peddie, Majola often butts heads with powerful community members when executing his duties, but he is determined the rights of every child must be respected.
Majola and his team visit communities, schools and churches to empower them regarding children’s rights via workshops and other engagements.
His organisation also works hand in hand with some government departments such as the police.
He also makes referrals to law clinics for litigation in cases where children have become victims or have been injured at school.