The integration of domestic workers into South African families has become something of a unique element in this country. Employees of families often become a lot more than just the “employee,” and become part of the family,’ as it were – often taking care of children, pets and other household affairs, far beyond the pre-defined “cooking and cleaning” responsibilities that certain people associate with a domestic worker.

That said, Haji Mohamed Dawjee, writing in a column on the Mail & Guardian, has expressed some concern regarding how much of the parenting and management responsibilities have fallen onto some domestic workers, as she recalls a certain observation made:

I stepped into an alternate universe the other day, which literally stunned me – a dog park filled with domestic workers and white babies.

I also find it highly unlikely that any domestic worker has ever agreed to care for someone else’s child so that their employer can spend more time with their dog. Does this sort of thing just come with the territory? I’ll concede that in many ways I’m jumping to conclusions here. But again, this is not a scene from The Help circa the 1960s. Maybe that’s the problem: it should be. Maybe then it would spark an era of civil rights action for domestic workers in South Africa.

Dawjee raises an interesting question, and it’s worth reading her full column about the issue, but what do you think? Scan the QR code below and let your voice be heard on the subject – should domestic workers be expected to look after and provide support for their employee’s children?

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