As the child rape crisis continues to take a heavy social toll, the Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Northern Cape urges school communities to submit their views on the draft regulations for the management of learner pregnancy.
At 17.2%, the Northern Cape’s teenage pregnancy rate is significantly higher than the national rate of 14.1%. The reality is that many teenage pregnancies are the result of rape and substance abuse that spurs reckless behaviour. In just three months between October and December last year, 38 children aged fourteen and younger gave birth in the Northern Cape.
These shameful figures, which don’t account for miscarriages or terminations of pregnancy, confirms that the scourge of statutory rape must be fought with every tool at our disposal. We therefore welcome the mandatory reporting requirements that imposes a legal duty on the school to report pregnancies in learners younger than sixteen to the relevant authorities. It might be a small step, but it is a definite step in the direction of holding child rapists accountable.
It is evil enough that rape robs young children of their bodily autonomy and innocence. A subsequent pregnancy should not further rob these children of access to education. The draft regulations aim to ensure that pregnant learners are supported throughout pregnancy and after childbirth.