An alarming 296 pregnancies were recorded among girls aged 10 and 14 in the Western Cape during the 2024/25 financial year, according to the provincial Department of Health and Wellness.

The Democratic Alliance has called for urgent action, saying the statistics point to evidence of widespread child sexual abuse and statutory rape.

“When a child as young as 10 years old presents as pregnant, there can be no ambiguity: this is evidence of child sexual abuse and, at a minimum, statutory rape,” the DA said in a statement on Monday.

Action needed

Wendy Kaizer-Philander, the DA’s Western Cape spokesperson on social development, said all institutions with a legal duty to act must do so immediately.

“The DA is unequivocal in its position that children must be protected, perpetrators must be held accountable and every institution with a legal duty to act must do so without hesitation. Failure to report, investigate and prosecute cases of child rape and statutory rape not only denies victims justice but also encourages a culture of impunity for perpetrators,” Kaizer-Philander said.

The DA emphasised that such cases must be reported to the police and investigated without delay, as required by law.

Committee to summon officials

The Standing Committee on Social Development in the Western Cape Parliament will call the departments of Social Development, Education, and Health and Wellness, together with the National Prosecuting Authority and the police’s Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences unit, to appear before the committee.

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The committee will assess the effectiveness of current interventions aimed at addressing teenage pregnancy, child sexual abuse and statutory rape, while identifying the factors contributing to the persistently high number of teenage pregnancies in the province.