The Democratic Alliance (DA) calls on the Northern Cape Premier, Dr Zamani Saul, to urgently commission a survey on childhood stunting, from which 216 000 Northern Cape children may be suffering. This survey and study is urgently needed to identify the unique underlying drivers of stunting in the Province, including factors such as food insecurity, inadequate sanitation, and gaps in maternal and child health services.
Until the exact causes are known, the Province cannot properly address them, which it must do.
The DA believes that for the 216 000 children in the Northern Cape to be starved of their full physical growth potential, and their mental development is a grave injustice.
According to the 2016 South African Demographic and Health Survey, for every child in South Africa suffering from Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM), 135 are affected by stunting. Based on the Northern Cape Department of Health’s recent parliamentary reply that 1600 children in the province were admitted to hospitals with severe acute malnutrition over the last three years, this 1:135 ratio means that approximately 216, 000 children in the province may suffer from stunting.
This shocking figure aligns closely with the National Food and Nutrition Survey (2021–2023) findings by the Human Sciences Research Council, which reported a provincial stunting rate of 46%.
Stunting is a chronic form of malnutrition that impedes physical growth and cognitive development. Although it is possible to recover from physical stunting by age 5, the educational and resultant economic setbacks, remain. Stunted children will struggle to compete with others as they enter the education and working world.
Eliminating stunting, which can increase Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita by approximately 9%, is an imperative and has an economic necessity for the province with the lowest GDP per capita.
Localised information on stunting is currently only available for the ZF Mgcawu district, following a survey done by Grow Great. We urgently need to understand the situation across the vast province, as areas differ significantly. This means that interventions that may work in Sol Plaatje may not work in Namaqualand.
By understanding the specific causes of stunting in our communities, we can implement targeted interventions that will have a lasting impact.
Therefore, the commissioning of a Provincial Stunting Survey is essential to provide a baseline and critical, community-specific data to identify the underlying drivers of stunting, including factors such as food insecurity, inadequate sanitation, and gaps in maternal and child health services.
Stunting must be eliminated in the Northern Cape to give our children a chance at reaching their full potential, escaping the cycle of poverty, and developing a thriving economy.