“Over the years, I met the most amazing and talented children. But hearing and seeing the neglect and abuse they suffer day after day made me realise that the voice of the child is not always heard and that listening and protecting them must start with me.”
Those are the words of Sarah Roberts, who has officially taken office as the Western Cape’s second Commissioner for Children.
For Roberts, a mom of two, the role is not simply about filling a statutory post, but about building an institution that is closer to children, more responsive to their everyday struggles, and able to amplify their voices in a way that cannot be ignored.
The Commissioner for Children is an independent governance institution reporting directly to the Western Cape Provincial Parliament.
Its mandate is to safeguard and promote the rights and wellbeing of children in the province, working closely with the departments of Education, Health, Social Development, and Cultural Affairs and Sport. At its core, the role is about holding the government accountable for the services provided to children and ensuring that policy decisions take into account children’s lived realities.
Roberts succeeds Christina Nomdo, the province’s inaugural Commissioner appointed in 2020.
She now embarks on a five-year term at a time when the challenges facing children are becoming increasingly complex from the lingering impact of poverty and inequality to the rise in violence, abuse, and pressures within schools and communities.
Reflecting on her years as an acting magistrate in the Kuilsriver and Blue Downs Children’s Court, Roberts said:
“I had the privilege of serving as an acting magistrate in Kuilsriver and Blue Downs Children’s Court for 14 years. Over the years I met the most amazing and talented children. But hearing and seeing the neglect and abuse they suffer day after day made me realise that the voice of the child is not always heard and that listening and protecting them must start with me.”
She also recalled advice that shaped her perspective: “Someone once told me that ‘people need people and you never know who people you might be’. This changed my perspective.”
About her new role, Roberts said, “For me a title does not mean much but with this role I have the opportunity to make a real impact in the lives of the children of the Western Cape.”
She emphasised the importance of accountability: “For me it will be important that government departments be held accountable when it comes to the rights of children and delivering of services to our children.”
Her vision is to take the conversation out of parliamentary chambers and into communities. “I want to explore community-based platforms that enable children in that specific community to be heard and address their issues,” she explained. “Children often know better than anyone what they need. My role is to create the spaces where those needs can be voiced, and then to ensure they are acted on.”
Roberts has seen firsthand the systemic challenges children face.
Having presided over cases in family and children’s courts, she has dealt with matters ranging from child neglect and domestic violence to maintenance disputes and the struggles of refugee and undocumented minors.
“I served as a Children’s Magistrate, I’ve identified several critical issues impacting the well-being of children in the Western Cape, as brought before the court. Some of these challenges, however, extend beyond the purview of the four social sector departments overseen by the Western Cape Commissioner for Children.
“This recognition underscores a crucial need to cultivate and strengthen strategic relationships with these additional departments to ensure a comprehensive and collaborative approach to child welfare.”
She is already working with partners from civil society, including the UCT Refugee Centre and the Scalabrini Centre, which support unaccompanied minors and children living without documentation. Roberts believes these perspectives are essential to ensure no child is left behind.
Her first priorities focus on listening to children in every community.
“Each town and community in the Western Cape has its own challenges, and so do the children of that town and community. I want to look at community-based platforms (maybe with the help of schools or municipalities) for children in that specific community to be heard and address their issues.”
If every child could hear one message from her, Roberts said: “Dream big and work hard to achieve those dreams.”
She also highlighted the need to protect children from social media pressures, explaining: “Kids are not going to like this, But if we could keep kids away from social media under the age of 12 / 14 and just let them play and be kids and not have the stress of being ‘cool’, they would be in such a better mental state.”
Outside of work, she finds grounding in family and faith. “Definitely my family and faith. My husband and I have two boys. And I love cooking.”
Although she only assumed office on 1 October 2025 and was not part of the Child Protection Report recently adopted by the Western Cape Legislature, she sees it as a positive step.
“This is definitely a step in the right direction. I am hopeful that this will promote and improve collaboration between all government departments and civil society when it comes to the safety and well-being of children. We must all take responsibility to protect children; it takes a village to raise a child, and we are all part of that village.”
Patrick Solomons, Director at Molo Songololo, welcomed Roberts’ appointment, highlighting the importance of independence and proper resourcing for the Commissioner’s office.
“The role should be fully independent, legislatively supported, with political protection and proper resources and budgeting,” he said.
Solomons noted that one of the challenges in the past was that the Commissioner did not always use the power she had to actively engage, relying too heavily on the Premier’s office for budget and resources, which can compromise the Commissioner’s independence.
He added: “The majority of South African children are poor, hungry, dropouts, murdered, and don’t access health services,” stressing the need for fundamental changes to address these realities.
Solomons emphasised that the Commissioner must be able to act “without fear or favour” and engage directly with children, particularly the most marginalised.
“She should not forget about the most vulnerable in poorer areas and come to their homes and communities, speak to them. It’s often these marginalised voices that are excluded. The Commissioner has a massive job, but if she works cleverly with stakeholders and visits the most vulnerable children, she can properly represent them. Civil society must protect the Commissioner’s independence from political interference.”
He added that the office, if effective, can be rolled out to other provinces as well, and expressed cautious optimism: “We wish her well and remain positive.”
Veranique “Benji” Williams, founder of Faith and Hope Missing Persons Unit said now is the perfect time for the Commissioner to show up.
“We’re approaching school holidays, a critical time for activists and children. We need her to be present to interact, to engage. Often the people most affected by what’s happening are the best people to speak to, so it is a good move, but it needs to be executed properly.
“We dont want just words, we want action. We welcome the new Commissioner and look forward to working with her. We cannot wait to engage face to fac and find ways to protect our children to the best of our ability…”
Weekend Argus
