Child moms: we're enablers

We have been grappling with the reality of statutory rape for years. It's not new.

- Thando Nondywana

We can all agree that the number of children giving birth is appalling. But the real problem is this: we are enablers.

In the North West province, a 16-year-old girl gave birth to her second child in two years, which means she was only 14 when she had her first baby. The father? A 35-year-old man.

In the Eastern Cape, a 12 year old gave birth on New Year's Day. That is a Grade 7 pupil. A child who should be busy with dolls but instead became a mother.

This didn't start yesterday. It's been happening for a while. Go to any high school in South Africa and you'll find a bigger list.

According to Amnesty International, the number of births to girls aged 10 to 14 in the country increased by 48.7% between April 2017, and September 2021.