The Minister of Social Development, Lindiwe Zulu during an outreach programme encouraged teenage mothers to go back to school when the 2024 academic year kicks off next week. This follows reports that teenage mothers had visited a SASSA  Office to apply for Child Support for their newly born babies. In a report released by the Northern Cape department in 2023 about 900 pupils between the ages of 15 and 19 fell pregnant every three months in the province. The department says, schools, families, and the wider community play a critical role in determining a young woman's decision. Zulu encouraged teenage mothers not to lose hope, but rather use this as a learning curve because it is only through education that they can improve their lives and that of their newborn babies.

Journalist: Rene Julies
Email: rckjulies@gmail.com