Friday, January 3, 2025 - A 12-year-old girl is among South Africa's youngest mothers as the country welcomes babies born on the first day of the new year.
Eastern Cape MEC of Health Ntandokazi Capa said they welcomed 40 babies,
including one delivered by a 12-year-old, with the father allegedly 17.
Capa said they will work with relevant departments such as Social
Development to ensure that someone is held accountable.
“So, we are really saddened about that, in one way or another this is
statutory rape so we will rope in other departments. We need to find out who is
the father of this baby and also call upon parents to educate their children as
there are many options for contraceptives”
Meanwhile, KwaZulu-Natal's youngest mothers of New Year babies were four
16-year-old girls.
KZN health MEC Nomagugu Simelane said one of them gave birth at Charles
Johnson Memorial Hospital in Nquthu and she was impregnated by a 22-year-old
man.
The other three delivered their babies at Harry Gwala Regional Hospital.
Simelane said their babies were fathered by a 16-year-old boy, a
20-year-old man, and a 21-year-old man, respectively.
She said the province also has two 17-year-olds and four 18-year-olds
who’ve given birth.
“While the ages of the fathers of these babies are not known, we do know
that one of the 17-year-olds, who gave birth at Mahatma Gandhi Memorial
Hospital, was impregnated by a 26-year-old man,” Simelane said.
Simelane said they are alarmed by the revelations, especially when
considering the girls' ages when they were impregnated.
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