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The Eastern Cape Health Department has revealed that 319 children aged between 10 and 14, gave birth in the six months between July and December 2021.
Tabling her Budget Policy Speech in the Bhisho Legislature on Tuesday, MEC Nomakosazana Meth said a further 9 396 girls aged between 15 and 19, also gave birth at health facilities during this time.
She says this was of grave concern because children should not be having children.
MEC Meth called on children to abstain from having sex until they are over 21 years old, advocating the use of condoms if they are already sexually active.
In her speech, the MEC said the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) was currently supporting the OR Tambo and Alfred Nzo districts as they have a high delivery rate among children aged 10-14 years.
She said this was done in collaboration with the Department of Education.
MEC Meth said, "there is no way a 10-year-old can legally consent to sex so let’s protect the innocence of our children from sexual abuse."
She said the Children’s Act provides for the reporting of suspected cases of abuse and called on communities to "not bury our heads in the sand" but to report such cases to the authorities.
Meanwhile, the Masimanyane Women’s Rights Organisation has called the high rate of teenage pregnancy a travesty of justice.
Executive director Dr Lesley-Ann Foster said it was also a criminal act, as young children do not have decision-making power.
She also slammed MEC Meth's advice to young girls to abstain from sex until they are 21, calling it an irresponsible remark.
"This is a case of power and control by an older male probably over a young child. So you can't put the blame and shame for this onto the children themselves."
"Young women in our country haven't got the choice to abstain from early sexual debut because they are forced, they are coerced into sex and it's actually rape," Foster said.
Marumo Sekgobela of Save the Children South Africa is calling for the government and civil society to take another look at the community intervention models.
"When you look at the time period that the MEC was reflecting, that is the time that most of the children were not in school, they were on the rotational system. So, most of them that were out of school tend to be victims of these unintended pregnancies," he said.
