Mpumalanga premier urges parents to register births as province welcomes 34 Christmas babies

Mpumalanga Premier Mandla Ndlovu has urged parents to register their newborn babies properly to ensure that they have access to government services and support.

Ndlovu said this when welcoming 34 children born on Christmas Day in Mpumalanga.

“Registering newborn babies properly and on time plays a role in assisting the state to minimise statelessness,” said Ndlovu.

He said the Christmas babies were delivered from 12am to 6am on Wednesday, 25 December.

ALSO READ: South Africa sees decline in births for 2023, this was the surname that topped the list

A total of 17 were delivered at Ehlanzeni, 13 in Gert Sibande and four in Nkangala.

• 14 were males and 20 were females
• A total of 30 were delivered naturally and four by caesarean section, all babies alive
• Five babies were delivered by teenage mothers below 19 years; three at Ehlanzeni; and two in Gert Sibande. The mothers were one 15-year-old; two 17-year-olds; one 18 year and one 19-year-old
• The 15-year-old mother was from Bethal Hospital who delivered a female baby weighing 3320g
• Thirty-two (32) babies were delivered in hospitals and two in CHCs.

According to the statement from the Premier’s office, the first baby of 2024 Christmas was delivered at 12.02am in Standerton Hospital, followed by Lydenburg Hospital at 12.03am by a 17-year-old mother.

“Ehlanzeni had the highest number of deliveries at 17; followed by Gert Sibande at 13 and Nkangala with four. Ehlanzeni District also had the highest number of deliveries by teenage mothers; a total of three (3) with Gert Sibande at two.”

Registration of babies

Earlier this month, the Department of Home Affairs called on parents to register their newborn babies to avoid complications when applying for services.

ALSO READ: ‘Teen moms protect the fathers’ as births on Xmas Day soar

Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Njabulo Nzuza visited Empangeni in KwaZulu-Natal to hand over birth certificates to over 180 citizens who had laid claim to South African citizenship through Late Registration of Birth (LRB).

“The hand-over of the birth certificates follows the meticulous adjudication of the LRB applications of the affected citizens by the Home Affairs Provincial office in KwaZulu-Natal in a development affirming the Deputy Minister’s message to South Africans that it is never too late to claim your citizenship,” said Nzuza at the time.

ALSO READ: Almost 8 000 sign petition to have doctors and midwives report underage pregnancies to police

Of these, 108 recipients of the birth certificates were 15 years old or older, while 78 were under 14 years old.