The DA youth is reacting to reports that thousands of schoolgirls in the Ratlou Local Municipality in the province are either pregnant or had already given birth, with the youngest being merely 11 years old. 

DA youth chairperson, Marialett Koekemoer, says it is unacceptable that this social epidemic continues to grow whilst the government seemingly does little to address it. She says according to reports the number of pregnancies has doubled since 2016. Koekemoer says it was reported that 6 000 young girls from 24 villages in the province are pregnant or have given birth, the youngest mother being only 11 years old. The department was unavailable for comment.

“The scourge of sex for jobs and a culture of blessers further add to the complexity of dealing with underage pregnancies. The DA has repeatedly raised concerns on the prevalence of underage pregnancies since 2016 with the Department of Social Development, who promised to investigate and address the challenges young girl children face,” she adds. “Our proposals included a multi-disciplinary approach that involved a dedicated programme to address this issue,” she further says.

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