Ekurhuleni clings to hopes of eliminating teen pregnancy

By ANNA NTABANE in Springs, Ekurhuleni,SPRINGS, (CAJ News) – WITH freedom comes responsibility.This is the prevailing message by the City of Ekurhuleni to parents and children as it battles to deal with the problem of teenage pregnancy that sees the city among the worst affected by the scourge in the country.The city has the biggest problem in terms of pregnancies among schoolchildren and according to statistics last year, the area had 1 289 expectant learners.This past weekend, the City of Ekurhuleni organised the Parents Indaba on teenage pregnancy in school.The purpose of the indaba was to encourage youth to participate in different kind of activities and focus on important things such as education, instead of sexual intercourse and relationships.Parents also must play a key role in dissuading children, officials pointed out.“Parents should be good example to their children and teach them about the good and bad outcomes of freedom,” said Ward 78 councillor, Zanele Nyakele.Department of Health Cordinator (Mother, Child and Women’s health division), Thembani Masina, encouraged teenagers to practice safe sex if the urge to engage in intercourse prevailed.“W we need to reduce teenage pregnancy around Ekurhuleni to zero percent because no child should be a mother,” Masina said.A social worker, Zakithi Msomi, also advised teenagers to be career-driven and not yield to bad influence from peers.“Teenagers end up being pregnant because they want to fit in and they fall for peer pressure easily,” said Msomi. East Rand School of Arts member of the School Governing Body (SGB) said the prevalence of pregnancy among schoolchildren was cause for concern.Residents, government departments, technical experts on health and school authorities gathered for the indaba held at Springs.South Africa is battling teenage pregnancy. According to Satistics South Africa’s Demographic and Health Survey 2016, about 16 percent of women aged 15-19 years have begun childbearing, 12 percent have given birth andanother 3 percent are pregnant with their first child.