It has been reported that almost 120 000 girls aged 15 to 19 have given birth in just 12 months.
Teenage pregnancy is trapping young girls in a vicious circle of poverty, lack of educational prospects and making them dependent on government for survival.
That is the warning echoed by the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education following a news report that showed that the province has the highest numbers of teenage pregnancies in the country.
It has been reported that almost 120 000 girls aged 15 to 19 have given birth in just 12 months. This is according to figures released by the national health department to questions from an online news site.
It found KwaZulu-Natal led other provinces with 30 478 pregnancies, followed by Gauteng with 19 406, Limpopo 16 262, the Eastern Cape 15 827, Mpumalanga 11 524, the Western Cape 9 622, North West 7 525, the Free State 5 395 and the Northern Cape 3 538.
More than 2 700 girls aged 10 to 14 are now mothers after giving birth at public health facilities across the country in the 2023/24 financial year. KwaZulu-Natal had the most pregnancies in this group, 610, followed by Gauteng, 430.
KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education spokesperson Muzi Mahlambi said teenage pregnancy was a vicious cycle.
“The issue of social ills in our communities worry us all – health, social development and education, we have to deal with these realities.
“This does not only disturb us in terms of our programmes but it leads to many girls not finishing school and giving birth to more children and (having to rely on the state for grants).
“Some will still be registered in our schools, meaning that we still pay for them, and Sassa (the South African Social Security Agency) pays for them. It’s a vicious circle,” said Mahlambi.
Adeshini Naicker, director of Childline KZN, said in KZN, teenage pregnancy remains a significant social challenge.
“The province experiences high rates of adolescent pregnancies, driven by a combination of factors such as limited access to comprehensive sexual education, socio-economic disparities and cultural norms.
“Many teenagers face inadequate resources and support systems, leading to early pregnancies that often disrupt their education and future prospects.
“Addressing this issue requires a multi-faceted approach, including improving access to reproductive health services, enhancing educational programmes, and fostering community support to empower young people with the knowledge and tools they need to make informed decisions,” she said.
Julie Todd, director of Pietermaritzburg Child Welfare, said they do see a number of teenage pregnant girls, but that some girls had been raped and were unaware they had fallen pregnant.
“The problem is high in KwaZulu-Natal, there are a lot of ways (to deal with the problem) but social programmes often start in high school which is way too late, they should start from grade 1. There is misinformation, so education should take place early on in the school, and there should be access to contraception.
“Quite often the girls who are sexually active can access contraception at the clinics, but they get the third degree from some of the nursing staff and are reluctant to go there,” she said.
DA spokesperson on Health Dr Imran Keeka said teenage pregnancy remains a challenge in the province, but added that if the matter is not left to the government alone to resolve, it can be resolved.
He said the departments of Health and Education cannot be left to address the issue of teenage pregnancies alone as the issue needs the community to get involved and address the problem. He stressed that parents and especially the community needed to get involved.
“There was one school in Newcastle a few years ago when in one year, 40 pupils had fallen pregnant. The parents, the community leaders, religious leaders got involved, they educated the pupils about what happens when a child gets pregnant and the social and economic impact of teenage pregnancy.
“The following year, that number dropped to two pupils who fell pregnant,” he said.
The Mercury