KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thami Ntuli has raised alarm over the increasing cases of teenage pregnancy in the province, revealing that more than 26,000 girls were impregnated between April and December last year.
Ntuli made this known during the launch of the province’s 2025–2029 Child and Teenage Pregnancy Strategy in KwaZulu-Natal, aimed at addressing the growing challenges of child and teenage pregnancy as well as the fight against HIV and Aids.
He described teenage pregnancy as a major threat to society and vowed to take decisive action against older men who prey on young girls.
“We must take an equally frank and fearless stance against the perpetrators. Those who prey on our children must know they will face the full, unrelenting might of the law. There can be no hiding place and no forgiveness for those who steal a child’s future,” Ntuli said.
The premier noted that teenage pregnancy and HIV are twin problems that hinder the province’s growth and development, saying that a young girl who falls pregnant faces increased risk of contracting HIV, leading to poor health, interrupted education, and lost potential.
Ntuli also criticised parents who accept fines (known as inhlawulo) from men who impregnate their young daughters, calling it a shameful practice that enables the exploitation of minors.
“It is a shame old men attract young girls with money and expensive gifts to sleep with them,” he said, adding that these men not only impregnate but also infect the girls with HIV.
He insisted that men who sleep with girls younger than 16 should be charged with statutory rape and jailed.
“The figures of teenage pregnancy are shocking; between April and December last year, about 26,515 teenage girls between the ages of 10 and 19 fell pregnant, and of those, 1,254 were under 14,” Ntuli stated.
He further called for the education of young girls about their rights and urged law enforcement officers to prioritise cases of gender-based violence and statutory rape.
“To the law enforcement officers: please be the shield for our children, and we owe it to you to prioritise these cases. Ensure that justice is not just done but is seen to be done swiftly and certainly,” he added.
