Helen Zille praises Limpopo Premier Dr Phophi Ramathuba for statutory rape stance

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On Christmas Day, 1360 children were born of whom 90 were to teenage mothers. 

This included a 13-year-old girl who gave birth to a baby at the Seshego Hospital outside Polokwane in Limpopo. 

A 28-year-old man is alleged to be the father and has subsequently been arrested as he stands accused of statutory rape.

Three 15-year-olds in KwaZulu-Natal and a 16-year-old from North West were also among those who gave birth on Christmas Day.

Limpopo Premier Dr Phophi Ramathuba expressed concern about this in a media briefing and took to social media to hold public servants who fail to report statutory rape accountable, saying they are 'equally secondary raping' children.

Kwa-Zulu Natal's Health MEC, Ms Nomagugu Simelane, also addressed the concern about girls falling pregnant in a media briefing.

Simelane has issued a call to older men who sexually exploit young girls, urging them to stop.

She addressed the growing issue of teenage pregnancy in the province, describing it as a significant social concern that impacts young girls and their communities.

“It is a problem as it robs young girls of their childhood, often forcing them into adulthood too soon,” Simelane said.

She says teenage pregnancies jeopardise the lives of young mothers and place their babies at considerable risk.

“This is unacceptable. As a society this is something we need to start fighting against."

Zille supports Premier Ramathuba's stance on statutory rape and reacted with tweets in agreement with the premier's post on X. 

"Over 20% of children between 12 and 17 years old in South Africa don't live with either of their parents while around 40% of children in South Africa grow up without their fathers," cites Zille.

To combat this, Zille suggests a 'fundamental change in culture'.

"We need a fundamental change in culture in South Africa... there must be a culture in which parents take responsibility for the children they bring into this world and understand what an overwhelming responsibility that is." 

- Helen Zille, Chairperson of the Federal Council - DA

"Around 40% of children in South Africa grow up without their fathers. That is a shocking statistic and until we change the culture of parenting in this country, there are lots of things we're not going to resolve. Every person who makes a baby must take responsibility for that child... Far too many people think they can make babies and walk away and take no responsibility and dump the baby with granny and carry on their life as if nothing has happened."

- Helen Zille, Chairperson of the Federal Council - DA

"Anybody who impregnates a woman below the age of consent should be in jail... I praise Dr Phophi Ramathuba... she said is this is completely unacceptable... she was very angry with health workers for not reporting births of children who are under the age of consent... and I completely agree with her."

- Helen Zille, Chairperson of the Federal Council - DA

"Culture change starts with men understanding if they impregnate a girl under the age of consent, they will end up in jail... people must know that if a young girl comes in and gives birth to a baby, they will hunt down that father through paternity tests..."

- Helen Zille, Chairperson of the Federal Council - DA

"We have older men who prey on younger girls and that's called being a pedophile and that's when you really belong in jail... the important thing to understand is this: it's not okay to say you can have a culture where people can have multiple sexual partners across different age generations, it is not okay for an adult man to sleep with a teenage girl."

- Helen Zille, Chairperson of the Federal Council - DA

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