The Eastern Cape Department of Health has initiated an investigation after a 12-year-old girl gave birth on New Year’s Day
By 5 PM on January 1, the Department of Health (DoH) reported that a total of 653 babies were born across South Africa. Gauteng accounted for over 200 births, while KwaZulu-Natal recorded 185.
The DoH expressed concern regarding the presence of teenage mothers among this group, highlighting the case of the 12-year-old who delivered a healthy baby at Frontier Hospital in the Eastern Cape.
In response, Eastern Cape Health MEC Ntandokazi Capa has instructed the head of the health department to mobilize a team of officials, along with other government representatives, to investigate the situation further.
The department praised Capa’s swift action, which follows a similar case in Limpopo that resulted in the arrest of a 28-year-old man accused of impregnating a 13-year-old girl. This individual has since appeared in court on charges of statutory rape and sexual grooming of a minor.
