Zelna Jansen
Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) recently released its statistics on recorded live births.
A total of 33 899 births occurred to mothers aged between 10 and 17 years old.
The Chief Director in the Department of Basic Education (DBE), in an interview, stated that there has also been a rise in termination of pregnancies amongst young adolescent girls.
Further, statements have noted that girls as young as10 years old have been impregnated. In terms of the Children’s Act of 2005, a child is defined as anyone under the age of 18 years old.
The Sexual Offences Act of 2007 states that a child under the age of 12 years, cannot consent to sex.
However, children between 12 to 16 years old who have consensual sex with someone on this age bracket may not be prosecuted.
The guiding principle for 16 and 17-year-old, is a two-year age bracket.
Section 15 (2) of the Sexual Offences Act, gives the National Director of Public Prosecutions a discretion to prosecute an offender when the offender and the victim are within the same age bracket.
The rise in teenage pregnancy, particularly, at such youthful age, has left senior public officials and politicians from the department of basic education baffled as it implements Comprehensive Sex Education from grades four to 12.
The information taught varies according to age appropriateness.
For example, education about body changes and gender-based violence (GBV) is taught in the preliminary stages whilst access to reproductive health services is taught in later grades.
Officials are now pondering whether to move education about reproductive health services to earlier grades.
Early pregnancy poses a health risk to young mothers whose bodies and minds are not yet fully developed.
It also causes a disruption in the education of the young learner.
She will also not be able to return to school immediately, as the maternal needs of the newborn must be considered.
Stats SA also noted that, more than 60% of the births are without the fathers’ details.
This is partly due to section 10 of the Births and Deaths Registration Amendment Act of 2010, which prohibits unmarried fathers to have their information on the birth certificate of a child.
The Constitutional Court has declared section 10 unconstitutional in September 2021.
This means unmarried fathers can now have their information registered in the birth certificate of their children.
Hopefully, this will improve information about the fathers’ details.
The response from the department and society appears to view the rise in teenage pregnancy as delinquent behaviour amongst young children acting out with their peers.
Hence, the deliberations of moving education about reproductive health services to earlier grades.
Reasons speculated was that many children were at home during lockdown and not under the supervision of a teacher.
However, just as many children were at home, so too were many workers, who were either working from home, or being laid off due to Covid-19 national lockdown restrictions.
GBV is also considered to have played a role.
The crime statistics released by the SAPS, for the period of July 1 to September 30, showed that 10 000 rapes that were reported.
Alarming, Minister of Police Bheki Cele pointed out that victims were violated in their own homes by people they knew and trusted.
This brings a question, how many of the 34 000 pregnancies were consensual between the children?
How many male children are acting out what they see adult males doing?
Given South Africa’s crime statistics and GBV history, it is likely that many children were sexually assaulted by adult males.
More concerning is that the perpetrators are likely to be an: an uncle, brother, father, teacher, or someone known and trusted by the family.
The prevalence of these pregnancies is also higher in poorer communities.
Government cannot resolve this social issue on its own. Communities will have to play an active role.
This includes creating awareness on the topic of sex education and GBV and encouraging families to talk about these issues, identify youth programmes aimed at capacitating teenagers to make better choices.
Although, it is an offence not to report child abuse, communities understanding the implications of sexual abuse on a child’s mental health will be quicker to report child abuse.
Community members must be aware of how clinics in the area are treating pregnant children.
Are they sensitive to them or are they shaming and victimizing them?
The latter will increase silence about abuse.
Communities should consider adopting a theme: my child is your child with the aim of nurturing and be vigilant of children’s needs and circumstances.
Ward councillors and ward committees can therefore through its community-based organisations run campaigns and programmes in their wards, educating families on the various forms of child abuse and GBV.
Capacitating these families will lead to empowered communities that can move from awareness to taking accountability and responsibility for children in their neighbourhoods, streets, and circles.
After all, it takes a village to raise a child.
Zelna Jansen is a lawyer. She is CEO of Zelna Jansen Consultancy