Throw law book at fathers who shirk supporting children

The call by opposition leader Helen Zille for the blacklisting of fathers who do not pay child maintenance is to be welcomed.

Maintenance is a thorny issue that many in society run away from and the government has been too slow to deal with defaulters.

We are told that millions of children grow up without support from their fathers. We are also told that some fathers try every trick in the book to avoid taking responsibility for their offspring.

Of course there are many fathers who take care of their children and of the children of others.

We should make it hard for men who expect others to shoulder their responsibilities.

We fully agree with Zille that, since legislation to blacklist maintenance defaulters exists, we should push for its implementation.

"We believe that responsible parenthood, is essential for the development of our country and for the rights of every single child," said Zille when she led a march to parliament.

"Yes, there are women who are not prepared to take care of their children and that is a serious problem, but, currently, maintenance defaulters are overwhelmingly male."

We will be a better nation if fathers play a role in the upbringing of their children. We also call on mothers who deny fathers their rights to see and have a relationship with children to reconsider. The war between parents should not affect how a child is raised.

In black African communities a child will battle to use a correct surname just because of a fight between parents. It should not get to that if the interests of the child are put first.

Many social problems can be traced back to absent fathers, who sometimes show their faces only once the child has managed to crack it in life.

The government should get tough on men who run away from their responsibilities.

Maintenance defaulters give honest parents a bad name.