How KwaZulu-Natal is tackling the child pregnancy crisis: An urgent call to action
KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli has sounded the alarm over soaring child and teenage pregnancies, warning that the province risks “losing its future” if urgent, coordinated action is not taken to protect girls from abuse and early motherhood.
Speaking at the launch of the KwaZulu-Natal Multisectoral Strategy to Curb Child and Teenage Pregnancies (2025–2029) at Ugu Sports and Leisure Centre under the Ray Nkonyeni Municipality on Tuesday, Ntuli said the province could not develop while children were “robbed of their childhood, education, and health”.
“If we do not address the twin scourges of child pregnancy and HIV, KwaZulu-Natal cannot grow into the thriving province we know it can be,” he said. “When a 12-year-old child becomes a mother, it is not a personal failure. It is our collective failure.”
KZN is the first province in South Africa to adopt a multisectoral plan to tackle the crisis, which Ntuli said was developed through consultations across all 11 districts, involving government departments, civil society, and academics.
Statistics presented at the launch showed that between April and December last year, 26,515 girls aged between 10 and 19 fell pregnant in KwaZulu-Natal including 1,254 aged 14 or younger.
“Each pregnancy represents a life altered and a future derailed,” Ntuli said.
He condemned men who exploit underage girls for sex, saying they must face the full force of the law.
“It is heartbreaking that the futures of these young girls are being stolen by older men who lure them with money and expensive gifts, then impregnate and infect them with diseases,” he said. “Sex with girls under 16 is statutory rape. Those who do it must be jailed. Parents must stop accepting money from these men, they belong behind bars, not in our communities.”
The Premier said the strategy’s six pillars focus on awareness, empowerment, education continuity, community mobilisation, inclusion of boys and young men, and stronger justice for offenders. “Our boys are not just part of the problem; they are an essential part of the solution,” he said.
Calling for unity across all sectors, Ntuli said the government’s goal was “zero pregnancies among children”. “Working together, we will achieve a significant reduction in teenage pregnancies,” he said. “The time for talk-shops is over.”