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.
