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Over 550 girls under 14 gave birth in Eastern Cape in the last financial year

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Dear Editor

Girls as young as ten were part of a cohort of 553 children under the age of 14 who fell pregnant and gave birth in the Eastern Cape during the 2022/2023 financial year.

These shocking revelations were made by Health MEC, Nomakosazana Meth, in response to parliamentary questions from the Democratic Alliance.

Even more shocking is that despite the exceptionally high number of underage pregnancies and births recorded, the Health Department’s Thuthuzela Centres have only reported 60 cases of statutory rape in the current financial year.

If last year’s pregnancy rate is anything to go by, then statutory rape cases are being significantly underreported! We can accurately assume that less than a quarter of all the births by girl children have been reported as statutory rape.

Statutory rape in South Africa is defined as a sexual act between an adult and a minor, who is someone who has not reached the legal age of consent, that being sixteen years old.

This means one of two things: either the sexual partners of these girls are also below the age of consent, or there is a failure by Thuthuzela Centres to report these cases to SAPS and the Department of Social Development.

These pregnancies and subsequent births by underage girls have a devastating impact on the psycho-social welfare of young moms and massive socio-economic implications for their families. It also increases the burden on the provincial government, which has to ringfence resources from several departments to support them.

The Department of Health claims to be working with the private sector to address this scourge, but it is clear that efforts need to be ramped up. Parents, guardians and carers also have a duty to provide guidance and love so children do not engage in these activities.

We need a concerted effort to raise awareness of the dangers of engaging in sexual activity while still so young and the implications of being such young parents.

The DA is also calling on the National Department of Health, in collaboration with other relevant stakeholders, to ensure that there is a policy in place to guide healthcare workers, social workers and the police in dealing with early teenage pregnancies.

In cases of statutory rape, all perpetrators must be brought to book, whether the family of the underage girl agrees to lay charges or not.

The DA will continue to fight for the rights of our girl children, who should be allowed to enjoy their young years free of sexual interference and free of the responsibilities that come with motherhood.

Regards

Jane Cowley MPL
DA EC Shadow MEC for Health

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