South Africa
Baby Savers SA urges government to stop criminalising baby boxes─── ZENANDE MPAME 13:45 Fri, 24 Oct 2025
As public outrage builds over proposed legal changes that could outlaw South Africa’s life-saving baby boxes, Baby Savers South Africa (BSSA) has protested at the Union Buildings.
Child protection services and BSSA are fighting against the department of social development’s proposed legislation that could declare the act of safely dropping off babies at facilities illegal. A memorandum was handed over calling for the scrapping of the amendment.
Friday’s (24/10) demonstration took place just a day before the public comment deadline on the department of social development’s amendment, the amendment is to criminalise baby savers. BSSA is a national coalition coordinating organisations that run monitored Baby Saver facilities in line with the Children’s Act, and it was formed in 2021.
All participating operators work closely with registered child protection organisations to ensure compliance, transparency, and above all, the safety of South Africa’s babies.
“Today, we handed over our memorandum to halt the criminalization of baby saver boxes,” said BSSA cofounder Dr Whitney Rosenberg. “We call on the president to intervene to stop the unnecessary loss of thousands of lives.
“We urge members of society to please submit their objections to the Children’s Amendment Bill as soon as possible, as the cut-off date is Saturday.”
Activists gathered at the Union Buildings to hand over a memorandum. Photo: Baby Savers SA
In 2023, Gauteng social development declared these facilities illegal, despite a high court interim order extending the practice until January.
The department has now included baby savers in the legal definition of “abandonment” under proposed amendments to the Children’s Act, effectively classifying the act of using baby savers as a criminal offence.
The DA said it will oppose this proposed amendment to the Children’s Act in every way possible. “We will not allow a culture in SA to exist where desperate mothers are forced to abandon their babies in unsafe locations such as fields, dumpsites, and sewers,” said DA social development spokesperson Alexandra Abrahams.
“We urge Minister Nokuzola Tolashe and the DSD to reconsider this dangerous and regressive amendment and heed the advice from civil society to help prevent the unnecessary and avoidable deaths of more innocent defenceless babies.”
People are urged to submit objections to the proposed amendment before Friday (25/10) to: matlhogonolos@dsd.gov.za, ntopot@dsd.gov.za, luyandamt@dsd.gov.za, said Rosenberg.
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