Durban - KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Health Nomagugu Simelane says if parents do not take responsibility for their children, teenage pregnancies will continue to be a problem in the province.

She revealed last week that there were 26 515 pregnancies in KZN among girls between the ages of 10 and 19 between April and December 2022.

A total of 1 254 girls were between the ages of 10 and 14.

“We can talk until we are blue in the face, but if we as parents and guardians don’t take responsibility for raising our kids properly, nothing will ever change. It is not a disgrace of the government, but a disgrace for the parents.”

Simelane said that young people should abstain from sex and focus on their education.

“Government is not there when those things happen. Government will not be able to come into your house, get into a room and separate underage kids when you as a parent are abdicating your responsibility.”

Else Roos of Tears Foundation, a non-profit organisation specialising in the assistance and support network for survivors of rape and sexual abuse, said there were many contributing factors that led to children having children.

“Children are becoming more sexually active at a younger age, with this occurring more among those with lower education and lower socio-economic status. These children have poor access to affordable or free medical services, such as family planning, birth control and abortion clinics.

“This situation is further perpetuated by cultural and traditional norms where boys are taught to explore their sexuality and manhood, and girls are taught to support men’s desires. This, in turn, leads to more instances of grooming, sexual abuse and rape.”

Edwin Baptie, DA KZN spokesperson on health, said KZN’s alarming teenage pregnancy statistics demanded an urgent response.

“It is crucial that the SAPS investigate the cases of pregnancy for girls under the age of 18. Given the rate of gender-based violence in the country, teenagers need to be protected from all forms of sexual abuse and perpetrators must be brought to justice.”

Ncamisile Nkwanyana, IFP provincial spokesperson on health, said there needed to be more education about family planning and the promotion of abstinence, especially among the youth.

EFF provincial leader Mongezi Twala said more action was needed to curb teenage pregnancies.

THE MERCURY