Mbombela is reeling from a staggering revelation 7,627 girls aged 10 to 14 gave birth between April 2024 and April 2025, with the youngest mother just 10 years old. This alarming statistic was presented at the Mpumalanga ICC Teenage Pregnancy Indaba held on May 23.

The shocking figures have sparked public outrage and renewed calls for urgent, coordinated action to address child abuse, sexual violence, and the failures of both the health and education systems to protect young girls.

Health and social development officials who spoke at the Indaba expressed deep concern over the spike in early pregnancies, warning that the trend points to systemic issues including poverty, lack of access to sexual education, and predatory behavior by older men.

“This is not just a health crisis it’s a societal failure,” said one speaker at the event. “A 10-year-old giving birth is not a teenage pregnancy it is statutory rape, and it demands justice.”

Community leaders, parents, and civil society organisations have been urged to work together to protect vulnerable children and demand accountability.

The Mpumalanga Department of Health is expected to release further details and an action plan in the coming weeks.