Department launches website to help curb social ills
More than 1 000 teenage girls in Mpumalanga are pregnant, with the youngest being 12, according to statistics by the Department of Social Development in the province.
KWAGGAFONTEIN – More than 1 000 teenage girls in Mpumalanga are pregnant, with the youngest being 12, according to statistics by the Department of Social Development in the province.
This has propelled the department to embark on more community engagements to try and curb this pandemic.
As part of its effort to address this matter, the department went to the community hall in Kwaggafontein C recently to create awareness in the community.
In a heartfelt speech, MC Ms Nomsa Mtshweni, encouraged parents, especially mothers, to be close friends with their daughters in order to create a transparent environment.
“Stop telling them lies, give them the truth because if they hear it from outside, it will be twisted and correcting it will take an enormous effort,” she said.
The Mtshweni also condemned maternal fertility among teenagers. “A teenage body is not ready to carry a baby, hence the number of mortalities. We discourage teenage pregnancy because it has a lot of fatal and dangerous consequences,” she added.
The department also launched a website with all the relevant information needed by users.
“We are launching this website to help you get through all your day-to-day social ills, all the stakeholders are there and they will be at your service at just a click of a button,” she said.
In the presence of royalty, the MEC, together with stakeholders such as the Department of Education, Department of Health, and the SAPS, the MEC also encouraged the community to speak out on abuse, with emphasis on men.
“Some men are abused and scared of speaking out. In a democratic country like South Africa, a man should also be able to go to the police station to report abuse without being laughed at. If your wife is the “Vuka sikhulume” type, a man should be able to get help if he seeks it.”
The website will enable people to get help whenever needed and they will also know who to contact, according to the MEC, who seemed to enjoy herself as she danced and sang along with the departmental choir.
