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A child running in the passage.
The Department of Social Development (DSD) will host an Educational Awareness Programme on the Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse today in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro, Eastern Cape, as part of its intensified efforts to curb violence against children.
The initiative comes in response to worrying child protection trends across the province. During the 2024/25 financial year, the Eastern Cape recorded 2 884 cases of child abuse, including 230 cases of physical abuse, 917 of sexual abuse, 217 of emotional abuse, 866 cases of deliberate neglect, and 47 incidents of abandonment.
The Department highlighted teenage pregnancy as another serious concern, noting that 94 children between the ages of 10 and 14, along with 12 326 young people aged 15 to 19, fell pregnant during the same period.
The Department says these numbers underscore the urgent need to strengthen prevention measures, expand education and support services, and empower young girls to make informed decisions about their futures.
Social Development has adopted the 365 Days Child Protection Programme of Action, which aims to systematically address violence against children, implement protective interventions, and reinforce the care and protection system.
This programme also forms part of South Africa’s 90 Days National Response Plan to intensify efforts in tackling violence against children, while fulfilling the country’s international commitments — including the pledge made in Bogotá, Colombia in November 2024 to end violence against children.
27 September 2025
Media Advisory
DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT TO HOST EDUCATIONAL AWARENESS PROGRAMME ON THE PREVENTION OF CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE IN NELSON MANDELA BAY METRO
The Department of Social Development (DSD) will conduct an Educational Awareness Programme on the…
— Social Development (@The_DSD) September 27, 2025
