Joy Maimela, chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education, has warned the public that statutory rape is a serious crime and that consent does not change this.
This comes amid concerns raised by the health department about teenage mothers who gave birth over the festive season.
At least 130 teenage mothers gave birth in public health facilities on Christmas Day, an increase from 90 in the previous year.
A 13-year-old girl from Limpopo and several 15-year-olds from KwaZulu-Natal were among the teenage mothers.
On New Year’s Day, at least 160 teenage mothers gave birth, up from 80 the previous year.
Teenage pregnancy and statutory rape alarming
Teenage pregnancy and statutory rape featured in Thursday’s media briefing of the Social Services Cluster Committee Chairpersons, with Maimela issuing a warning to communities.
“We are deeply concerned about teenagers becoming parents. We are deeply concerned about the persistent rise in teenage pregnancies and cases of statutory rape over the festive season,” said Maimela.
“These incidents are alarming and point to a broader societal failure to protect children, especially young girls, from abuse and exploitation. More than 130 teenagers gave birth on Christmas alone, up from 90 the previous year. This is a sign of a growing problem.
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“On New Year’s Day, over 160 teenagers gave birth across public health facilities, nearly double the number reported in the previous year. KwaZulu-Natal alone had multiple 15-year-olds giving birth during this period. Teenage pregnancy remains a serious public health and social challenge across South Africa.”
Maimela said the government had noted that teenage pregnancy was not a case of choice, but a consequence of coercion, power imbalance, and, in many cases, criminal conduct by older men.
“Statutory rape remains a serious crime regardless of consent and must be treated as such by families, communities and law enforcement agencies,” she said.
Awareness
Teenage pregnancy not only disrupts schooling, but also exposes young mothers to risks, she warned. Parliament has called for compliance with mandatory reporting requirements for teenage pregnancies in schools.
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“We call for stronger collaboration between the department of Basic education, Health, Social Development, Saps and Justice to strengthen prevention and improve reporting and ensure accountability. Protecting pupils must remain a national priority in and beyond the classroom.
“We commit to intensifying efforts to strengthen education and awareness around statutory rape to ensure full compliance with mandatory reporting requirements and call for a comprehensive review of the implementation status of the learner pregnancy policy and comprehensive sexuality education in our schools.”
The Department of Basic Education has previously noted the October to December school period as the most problematic for pupils.
“There is something that happens during October and December when pupils are not in school because these are pregnancies that would have occurred when we write exams and then close schools,” said the department.
It emphasised the need for schools to refer pupils to youth centres during school holidays to keep them engaged in productive activities.
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