The executive mayor of the John Taolo Gaetsewe district Queen Mogatle has released an official press statement expressing concern for the high rate of teenage pregnancy within the municipal area. The mayor say the concern expressed is based on statistics that have been recorded in the area which indicates that between last year April 2022 and this year March 2023 a concerning amount of 961 teenage pregnancies in various health facilities within the district have been recorded, 26 of which includes young underage girls between the ages of 10 and 14. The mayor says a contributing factor to this concern includes the likelihood that the affected young girls may not return to school again after giving birth to their babies which will therefore raise the percentage of uneducated and unemployed youth in the district. In order to reduce the statistics of teenage pregnancy in the district the mayor has urged parents to start having open and honest conversations about sex and relationships with their children, to familiarize themselves with the friends that their children have and to strive for an open and honest relationship with their children in order to be in a better position to prevent teenage pregnancy from occurring with their children.

Journalist: Mbali Masiza
Email: mbalimasiza198@gmail.com