90,000 South African Schoolgirls Aged 10 To 19 Got Pregnant In 2023 -- Minister

 South Africa's Minister of Social Development Lindiwe Zulu, has urged citizens irrespective of political differences to fight the scourge of teenage pregnancy after it was revealed that 90,000 schoolgirls got pregnant in 2023.

The Minister while noting that the figures were shocking, said the fight cannot be left to one sector of society alone.

Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) MP Zandile Majozi on her part called for police to act swiftly against those who sexually abuse girls, as some of the children who gave birth were as young as 10 years old.

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 88,122 schoolgirls between the ages of 15 and 19 years old got pregnant this year. In addition, 2,328 girls between 10 and 14 years old also got pregnant during the year in the report that was tabled in Parliament before the Multi-Party Women’s Caucus on Thursday, November 30.

According to Deputy Minister of Small Business Development, Dipuo Peters, it was shocking that 10-year-old girls were falling pregnant, and some of the abuses happen outside school.

But social development minister Zulu urged women from different political parties must forge unity in the fight against this scourge as there were many girls who were getting pregnant at an early age, noting that government has to intervene.

“From the department of social development, please help us with our programmes in dealing with teenage pregnancy because it is increasing. We need to work together to ensure that we end this teenage pregnancy and all the concerns that we have around teenage pregnancy. We must work together with families and with communities,” Zulu said.

"I want to say to the caucus and the women of South Africa in their different political parties that while we might have differences in our political approach, we cannot have differences when it comes to the building of families, when it comes to helping our children, and when it comes to building this country,” said Zulu.

Majozi on her part said they cannot fold their arms when children are facing the scourge of sexual violence and falling pregnant at a young age.

"Our children are suffering more than us. We cannot stand and watch while everything is falling apart,” said Majozi.

The African National Congress (ANC) MP Jane Mananiso asked for an intervention from the South African Police Service (SAPS) to as this was a crisis.

According to Acting Director-General in the Department of Social Development, Linton Mchunu, statistics show that in the 2022/23 financial year, there were 2,328 girls between the ages of 10 and 14 who delivered babies in health facilities.

“There were 88,122 girls between the ages of 15 and 19 who delivered babies in health facilities,” Mchunu said.