Durban, KZN – A wave of public outrage and concern has followed revelations that 7,627 girls aged 10 to 14 gave birth in the eThekwini municipality between April 2024 and April 2025, with the youngest recorded mother only 10 years old.
The shocking figures were revealed at the Teenage Pregnancy Indaba, held at the Durban ICC on May 20, where health officials, educators, and civil society gathered to confront what is now being labelled a “public health crisis.”
Deputy Mayor Zandile Myeni did not mince her words:
“This is not just a statistic—it’s a societal failure. We are failing our children.”
Among the findings:
- 154 births were recorded among girls aged 10 to 14.
- On average, 582 teenagers seek abortions every month in the metro.
- Hotspot areas include Inanda, KwaMashu, and uMlazi.
Health experts and activists have called for urgent reforms, including:
- Comprehensive, age-appropriate sexual education in schools.
- Improved access to contraception and reproductive health services.
- Prosecution of statutory rape, as most pregnancies in this age group are by definition the result of abuse.
“We can’t normalize 10-year-olds becoming mothers,” one social worker said. “This isn’t just about health—it’s about justice.”
The staggering numbers have sparked a renewed call for inter-ministerial action involving health, education, social development, and law enforcement
