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A pregnant female
The Eastern Cape province is grappling with a statutory rape crisis as the number of pregnant underage girls surged this year and there are concerns such cases are not being prosecuted successfully.
The African National Congress in the Eastern Cape says an urgent intervention is needed to tackle teenage pregnancy in the province.
— SABC News (@SABCNews) January 3, 2025
Statistics from the Eastern Cape Health Department reveal that between April and July this year a total of 117 girls aged 10 to 14 years gave birth at provincial public hospitals. The highest figures were recorded in the OR Tambo District, followed by Buffalo City and then Nelson Mandela Bay.
During the same period last year, the province recorded 94 cases of children giving birth.
The spokesperson for Social Development MEC Mpumzi Zuzile says government is struggling to prosecute the perpetrators as cases are either not reported or withdrawn.
The Eastern Cape government has called on communities to report teenage pregnancy to the authorities. pic.twitter.com/GkQsxGz3Zs
— SABC News (@SABCNews) September 4, 2025
“The number of cases being investigated or in front of the court its about less than 10% of the kids which is scary on its own. It shows that the parents are not taking the matter seriously enough to ensure that their daughters, who have been raped go and testify so that whoever thinks of even looking at a girl younger than 16 goes to jail,” adds Zuzile.
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