Bulelwa Hoala

The Department of Health (DoH) reports that a total of over 650 babies were born across South Africa on New Year’s Day.
Over 203 of these babies were born in Gauteng, 131 in KwaZulu-Natal and 118 in the Eastern Cape.
According to a statement released by the DoH, the babies were delivered in various public health facilities between midnight and 5PM on Wednesday, 1 January 2025.
“The Department urges parents and caregivers to keep these bundles of joy up-to-date with all child health care services including immunisation to ensure they receive the care they need to survive and thrive. These services are provided free in the public health facilities,” the statement reads.
The DoH expressed concern however, after it emerged that included in the numbers is a 12-year-old girl who gave birth at Frontier Hospital in Queenstown, Eastern Cape.
MEC for Health in the Eastern Cape, Ntandokazi Capa, has since revealed to the media that the father of the child is 17 years old and that an official investigation is underway via the Department of Social Services (DSD).
Watch the video below:
[DEVELOPING] Eastern Cape Health MEC Ntandokazi Capa addresses concerns after a 12-year-old gives birth in Komani as the province welcomes 44 New Year’s babies. SABC’s Ntombozuko Balintulo has more. pic.twitter.com/pdPP3jMvKt
— SABC News (@SABCNews) January 1, 2025
“The Department welcomes swift response by the Eastern Cape Health MEC, Ntandokazi Capa to initiate the investigation into the circumstances which resulted in the pregnancy of this first youngest mother of the year,” the DoH said.
This comes after a 28-year-old man was arrested and charged with the statutory rape of a 13-year-old girl who gave birth at Seshego Hospital in Limpopo on Christmas Day.
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