Call for community dialogue to address child and teenage pregnancies

Clinics and hospitals are required by law to report all suspected cases of statutory rape.

This is according to KZN Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane, who has called for dialogue to address teenage and child pregnancies, particularly the ‘disturbing pattern of older men impregnating underage girls’.

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“I want to make a proposal that we lead from the front in combatting this crisis between ourselves and district mayors, amakhosi (traditional leaders) and izinduna (headmen) – we need to come together and deal with this matter head-on because these activities are happening right where we are, children get pregnant in our societies in our communities.

“Unless we talk about it and act decisively, we will continue to see young lives destroyed. We are raising a broken generation if we remain silent,” she said.

Simelane was speaking at a meeting of the Provincial Council on Aids held in Durban.

South African law defines statutory rape as any sexual activity with a person under the age of 16, and makes the reporting of such cases to law enforcement mandatory.

She said the issue is both a health crisis and a social justice emergency that demands speedy intervention.

“We are extremely worried about the high number of children who are falling pregnant,” said MEC Simelane.

“What is even more concerning is that some of these young victims stop accessing healthcare and social services once they realise that we are legally required to report the perpetrators.

“In many cases, this is done to protect breadwinners or due to informal agreements between families. But this puts young girls at high risk, especially when they are forced to give birth in unsafe conditions.”

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