English – Page 672 – MIL Africa Engine

July 9, 2025

India: Prime Minister meets with the President of Namibia

Source: APO

On the occasion of his State Visit to Namibia, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi met today with the President of Namibia, H.E. Dr. Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah at the State House in Windhoek. On arrival at the State House, Prime Minister was warmly welcomed by President Nandi-Ndaitwah and accorded a ceremonial reception. This visit from India to Namibia at the level of Prime Minister took place after 27 years. This was also the first bilateral State Visit that President Nandi-Ndaitwah hosted after taking over office in March this year.

Prime Minister congratulated President Nandi-Ndaitwah on being elected the Head of State of Namibia. The two leaders recalled the proud history that underpins bilateral ties. Prime Minister conveyed condolences on the passing away this year of the Founding Father of Namibia, Dr. Sam Nujoma. The two leaders held discussions on further strengthening bilateral ties, including in the areas of defence, maritime security, digital technology & UPI, agriculture, health and pharma, energy and critical minerals.

Expressing satisfaction with the growth in bilateral trade, the leaders noted that full potential on this account was still to be tapped. In this regard, they called for discussions on India-SACU PTA to be expedited. Prime Minister noted that India would be scaling up development cooperation efforts through capacity building programs for Namibian experts and exploring partnerships in setting up manufacturing facilities in Namibia. Prime Minister offered India’s support for Quick Impact development projects in the areas of agriculture, Information Technology, cyber security, healthcare, education, women empowerment and child welfare. Prime Minister shared the experience of India in using drones for agricultural purposes, a project which could bring value to Namibia.

Prime Minister thanked President Nandi-Ndaitwah for Namibia’s support in the Cheetah conservation project in India. He also invited Namibia to join the International Big Cat Alliance.

The two leaders discussed global issues of mutual interests. Prime Minister thanked Namibia for its strong support and solidarity extended to the people of India in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack. They agreed to strengthen the global fight against terrorism. They also committed to work together to amplify the voice of the Global South.

Following the talks, the two leaders witnessed the exchange of two MoUs in the fields of health and entrepreneurship. In addition, it was announced that Namibia has joined the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure and Global Biofuels Alliance, and it is the first country to enter into a licensing agreement to adopt UPI technology.

President Nandi-Ndaitwah hosted a banquet in honour of Prime Minister. Prime Minister invited her to visit India at a mutually convenient time.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of External Affairs – Government of India.

July 9, 2025

Sacred sites in South Africa can protect natural heritage and culture: here’s how

Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Ndidzulafhi Innocent Sinthumule, Associate Professor, University of Johannesburg

Nature isn’t confined to officially protected areas. A lot can be done to conserve biodiversity in other places too. The United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity agreed in 2018 on the idea of “other effective area-based conservation measures” (OECMs). These are geographically defined areas which can be managed in ways that protect biodiversity, ecosystem functions and “where applicable, cultural, spiritual, socio-economic, and other locally relevant values.” Geographer Ndidzulafhi Innocent Sinthumule has explored the potential for sacred natural sites in South Africa to contribute to nature conservation.

Why does South Africa need to protect more land?

In South Africa, although protected areas play a vital role in biodiversity conservation, they are not sufficient. A lot of biodiversity occurs outside formal protected areas. Protected areas make up only 9.2% (or 11,280,684 hectares) of the country’s total land area. The National Protected Area Expansion Strategy, which was last updated in 2016, aims to increase the percentage of protected areas in the country to 16%.

My view is that the target can only be achieved by recognising other areas that have high conservation value, such as sacred natural sites. These are places with special spiritual and cultural value.

Recognising sacred natural sites as “other effective area-based conservation measures” entails officially declaring them as protected areas.

There are also other sites with conservation potential. These could be on public, private or community land. This means they are governed by a variety of rights holders. Apart from sacred natural sites, other examples include military land and waters, and locally managed marine areas.

Whatever their other, primary purpose, they can also deliver conservation of biodiversity.

Where are South Africa’s sacred natural sites?

There are areas in South Africa known as sacred sites because of their cultural, spiritual, or historical value, often linked to ancestral beings, religion and traditional beliefs.

They are often places of reverence, where rituals, ceremonies, burials, or pilgrimage are conducted, and where the custodians of the areas feel a deep connection to something larger than themselves.

Examples of sacred natural sites include these in Limpopo province, in the north of the country:

In the province of KwaZulu-Natal, there are Mazizini and Mabasa forests, regarded as sacred by local communities.

In the Free State province, the local Basotho people regard certain caves as sacred and ancestral sites:

How do the sites fit in with protecting diversity?

The study aimed to assess opinions and perceptions about the opportunities and challenges of sacred natural sites in contributing to global conservation goals.

I interviewed academics involved in research on Indigenous knowledge, people involved in discussions about conservation, and custodians of sacred natural sites – 39 people in all.

Study participants identified a number of opportunities. They said:

Sacred natural sites frequently harbour high levels of biodiversity, including rare and endemic species, because they have been protected for a long time through cultural practices. Giving them more legal protection and funding, and integrating them into national conservation strategies, would protect hotspots of biological diversity.
Integrating traditional ecological knowledge and practices into mainstream conservation efforts would promote more inclusive and culturally sensitive approaches to environmental management.
It would expand the total land area under conservation.
It might create conservation corridors that would facilitate movement of animals and ecological processes between isolated habitat patches.
Sacred natural sites could serve as carbon sinks or storehouses of carbon emissions. Sacred forests have old, tall trees and well developed canopy – the layer of foliage that forms the crown of a forest.
They can serve as tourist destinations where visitors will learn about biodiversity and about religious and cultural practices.

The study participants also identified challenges.

A big one was access rights and harmonising cultural and formal conservation practices. Access to sacred natural sites and the use of resources by the public is usually not permitted.
There was a fear that external intervention by government, nongovernmental organisations and conservationists might sideline local people and lead to the loss of their sacred sites.
External interventions might promote scientific knowledge at the expense of the traditional ecological knowledge that has protected sacred natural sites for millennia.
Respondents were concerned about elites capturing all the benefits and not sharing them equitably.
A methodological challenge might be how to study conservation effectiveness while respecting cultural sensitivities.

How would a sacred natural site be officially recognised?

At the moment, sacred natural sites are not designated or recognised as an “other conservation measure”. Currently, there are no standard procedures, criteria, or guidelines available for declaring them as such in South Africa. These would have to be determined by the national Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment.

The process should begin with identifying all sacred natural sites to understand where they are and what contribution they could make towards biodiversity conservation. The department should do this in consultation with local communities and traditional leaders who understand the local environment. It should be in line with the international principle of Free, Prior, and Informed Consent. This acknowledges the right of Indigenous peoples to give or withhold their consent for any action that would affect their lands.

This will set up sacred natural sites as a conservation model that contributes to both biodiversity protection and cultural heritage preservation. The involvement of communities will ensure that sacred natural sites are a sustainable solution.

All the respondents in my study said that designating a site as an “other conservation measure” should give control or legal protection, ownership and stewardship roles to local communities who have protected the area for ages.

– Sacred sites in South Africa can protect natural heritage and culture: here’s how
– https://theconversation.com/sacred-sites-in-south-africa-can-protect-natural-heritage-and-culture-heres-how-260207

July 9, 2025

From Seoul to Seke – The Shared Struggles of a Generation

Source: APO

Exploring how young people across continents face different barriers to the same fundamental choice

By Young Hong, Deputy Regional Director, UNFPA East and Southern Africa

I never imagined that one day I would be advocating for the right to have children, while listening to young people across continents tell me why they feel they cannot.

From the misty foothills of Nepal, where I once worked with adolescent girls rebuilding their lives after child marriage, to the bustling cities of South Korea, where couples delay or forgo parenthood under the weight of economic pressure, and now to the vibrant communities of East and Southern Africa, where young people are navigating early pregnancies they never planned, one truth permeates across these regions. The power to choose if, when, and how to start a family remains out of reach for far too many.

In South Korea, many young people are delaying or abandoning the idea of having children not because they don’t want to, but because housing costs, job insecurity, and social pressures make parenthood feel unattainable. Meanwhile, in Malawi and across much of East and Southern Africa, young people are being pushed into parenthood far too soon, without the knowledge or support to make informed decisions.

Two vastly different realities yet both point to the same crisis: a crisis not of fertility, but of choice. Across Asia, and especially in my home country, we’re witnessing what headlines call a birth rate crisis. But the real crisis is deeper and more human – it’s a crisis of opportunities, of choice, of agency. When systems fail to support young people whether by denying them access to contraception or the conditions to raise a family with dignity, the result is the same: lives shaped by limitations, not aspirations.

When I recently moved to East and Southern Africa as UNFPA’s new Deputy Regional Director, I was struck by the contrast. Here, the challenge is not too few births, but too many too soon. There is a young woman named Amina in rural Tanzania, just 16, already a mother. Her pregnancy wasn’t planned, it was the result of a lack of information, contraception, limited access to quality education, or even immediate economic need, and a world where saying no wasn’t always an option.

Two regions. Two stories. One truth. Around the world, too many young people are being denied the power to choose their own futures.

World in a mirror

According to UNFPA’s State of World Population 2025 report, 1 in 5 people under age 50 expect they will not have the number of children they want. In Asia, many delay or forgo parenthood due to crushing housing costs, rising education cost, limited child care support, job insecurity, climate anxiety, and persistent gender inequality. In Africa, particularly in our region, nearly 72 million youth are not in school, employment or training, and 1 in 3 say they or their partner have experienced unintended pregnancy. These are not opposing trends, but they are mirror images of the same systemic failure.

And yet, young people remain at the center of public debates. In East Asia, this generation is labeled selfish for choosing careers over children. In East and Southern Africa, girls continue to struggle to live with the life-time consequences of pregnancy they did not understand. In both cases, youth are blamed for demographic shifts they did not design, which they are burdened from fixing without the resources, knowledge, rights, or respect.

Turning the world around

We need to flip this reality. The solution to so-called population crises is not coercion or blame – it’s care. It’s trust. It’s an investment.

UNFPA is doing just that. In Zambia, we’re supporting youth-led centers where young people access comprehensive sexuality education and speak openly about their dreams. In South Sudan, mobile clinics reach girls in conflict zones with reproductive health services. In Lesotho, young men are stepping up as champions for family planning. And later this year, UNFPA will launch a global Youth Reproductive Choices Survey to listen, not prescribe, what young people need to thrive.

One young activist in Nairobi said, “We’re not afraid to have children. We’re afraid we won’t have a future to raise them properly.” That fear, whether whispered in a café in Seoul or shouted from a township in Johannesburg, must guide our response.

That means policies grounded in fairness across generations. It means affordable housing, quality education, and decent jobs for youth. It means dismantling online misogyny and supporting parental leave not just for mothers, but for fathers too. It means ensuring that contraception is available without shame, and that fertility treatments are accessible without ruinous costs. It means the society believes in young people and respects their decisions.

As a Korean, as a UNFPA leader, and yes, as someone named Young, I believe in youth. Not just as an age, but as a force: dynamic, hopeful, and deserving of choice.

This World Population Day, let’s stop framing young people as a demographic problem. Let’s see them as the designers of their own future that is fair, inclusive, and sustainable. Whether in Seoul or Seke, Lusaka or Busan, it’s time to trust them. To listen. To give them the power to plan their families and their lives on their own terms.

Because when we do, we don’t just solve population challenges. We build a better world.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of UNFPA – East and Southern Africa.

July 9, 2025

Africa: Countries unite to scale up South-South cooperation for agrifood systems transformation

Source: APO

A regional event on strengthening South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC) in Africa opened today with a call for greater collaboration to unlock shared benefits. Organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and hosted by the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania, the two-day event has brought together government ministers, technical experts, private sector leaders and development partners to promote more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems in Africa through South-South and Triangular Cooperation.

South-South Cooperation is the exchange of resources, technology, and knowledge between developing countries in the Global South, while Triangular Cooperation involves a third party, often a resource partner or multilateral organization, that facilitates or supports these exchanges. Together, SSTC provides an innovative model to accelerate progress on agrifood systems transformation.

A strategic moment for collaboration

As FAO marks its 80th anniversary, the Regional Policy Dialogue on Strengthening South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC) for Agrifood System Transformation in Sub-Saharan Africa offers a timely opportunity to advance partnerships that deliver concrete results at scale.

Speaking at the opening session, Stephen Justice Nindi, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture of the United Republic of Tanzania, highlighted the value of African-led solutions and inter-regional collaboration. “It is my great pleasure and honour to welcome all of you,” he said. “Accelerating sustainable food systems and agricultural transformation is a top priority for the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania.”

FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Africa Abebe Haile-Gabriel highlighted FAO’s long role in South-South Cooperation. “This dialogue is especially meaningful as FAO marks its 80th anniversary this year. SSTC is an expression of the solidarity and shared responsibility that FAO was founded upon.” He then shared three priorities to guide SSTC work: “One, SSTC needs to be embedded directly into national plans, budgets, and policies to ensure it is a core strategy, not a side project. Two, we must look beyond traditional donors to the private sector, academia, and farmer organizations to bring new energy and resources. And three, we should rigorously measure our results to prove their value and secure future investment.”

Director of FAO’s SSTC Division Anping Ye highlighted that FAO Member Nations hold the solutions to many of the challenges the world faces, and FAO’s role is to support countries to work together. “It is the goal and the responsibility of the FAO South-South and Triangular Cooperation team to provide qualified or high-quality services to our member countries,” he said.

A powerful solution in uncertain times

The dialogue focuses on six key priorities: strengthening institutional coordination to consolidate SSTC policy frameworks and mobilise resources; promoting scalable innovations in agriculture through cross-country collaboration; enhancing climate resilience and food systems through SSTC mechanisms; facilitating multi-regional partnerships across Africa, Asia and Latin America; aligning SSTC with national strategies and FAO’s Country Programming Frameworks; and formulating practical roadmaps to support the institutionalisation of SSTC and improved inter-ministerial collaboration.

Day one features country case studies and panel discussions on institutionalising SSTC in national and regional frameworks, including models from Uganda, Sierra Leone and The Gambia. Financing strategies and partnership models are also under discussion, including the FAO-China South-South Cooperation Programme, which has directly benefited over 100,000 people so far.

Day two will focus on aligning SSTC with national plans, technology transfer and action planning. Breakout groups will work on monitoring, evaluation, and roadmaps for scaling up SSTC efforts within country frameworks.

Expected outcomes include concrete policy recommendations, strengthened country partnerships, and commitments to follow-up actions such as the creation of inter-ministerial platforms or joint initiatives.

FAO’s strong track record in Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa is the region where nearly 80 percent of FAO’s SSTC efforts have taken place. Through partnerships with countries including Brazil, China, Morocco, Venezuela and Viet Nam, FAO has helped transfer knowledge, tools and technologies tailored to African priorities.

Examples include the deployment of over 290 Chinese experts and 200 scalable technologies in Africa through the FAO-China Trust Fund; technology and knowledge sharing from Viet Nam, supported by Spain, to boost Namibia’s aquaculture sector; Brazil’s successful school meals model adapted in countries such as Senegal and Ethiopia; Moroccan technical support that helped Guinea and Eswatini improve agricultural monitoring and investment planning; and Venezuela-funded rice systems development projects that improved rice production in 10 African countries including Guinea and Nigeria.

These projects demonstrate how SSTC can drive productivity, support smallholder farmers, and strengthen national institutions. As the Dialogue continues, FAO and its partners remain committed to expanding SSTC as a key mechanism for achieving sustainable development and resilient agrifood systems in Africa.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO): Regional Office for Africa.

July 9, 2025

South Africa: Minister Dion George on 47th World Heritage Committee session

Source: APO

The Minister, Dr Dion George, has wished the South African delegation negotiating for the proposed extension of iSimangaliso Wetland Park into Maputo National Park in Mozambique well, as they participate at the 47th Session of the World Heritage Committee in Paris, France.

South Africa is among 195 other countries participating in the 47th Session currently taking place at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Headquarters until 16 July 2025. The delegation is led by the Director-General of the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Ms Nomfundo Tshabalala, who is supported by South Africa’s Permanent Representative to UNESCO, Dr Phil Mjwara, and the Chief Executive Officer of iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority, Mr Sibusiso Bukhosini.

“In line with our strategy to elevate our iconic natural sites into world class destinations, the expansion of iSimangaliso into Maputo National Park would translate into ecological protection, job creation, and inclusive tourism, benefitting both South Africans and Mozambicans,” said Minister George.

The proposed extension of iSimangaliso has been recommended for listing on the UNESCO World Heritage List by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Through the negotiations, team South Africa will propose strong recommendations for sustainable development and reporting, guided by environmental legislations, joint governance structures, as well as matters of a joint management framework for the proposed Transboundary World Heritage Site, should it be successfully listed.

The World Heritage Committee is an intergovernmental structure that oversees the implementation of the 1972 World Heritage Convention. South Africa has been a member of this Convention since 1997.

The two week-long Session will discuss, amongst others, statutory matters such as a report of the World Heritage Centre and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Advisory bodies; State of Conservation (SoC) reports of sites on the World Heritage List and World Heritage List in Danger; Nominations to the UNESCO World Heritage List; and World Heritage Fund requests.

It is important to also note that ahead of the tabling of the proposed extension of iSimangaliso into Maputo National Park, the South African government undertook a stakeholder consultation process in the month of June 2025. This process was made possible through financial support received from Peace Parks Foundation.

“The consultation process is an integral part of the process and subsequent tabling of the possible extension at the 47th session of the World Heritage Committee,” said Minister George.

As per the timetable, the proposed extension of iSimangaliso Wetland Park into Mozambique will be discussed by the World Heritage Committee between the 11 – 13 July 2025.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic Of South Africa: Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment.

July 9, 2025

Youth Charter Responds to International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) $200M Community Investment Pledge with Global Community Campus Initiative

Source: APO

In the wake of the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) historic USD 200 million commitment to invest in communities following the Olympism365 Summit in Lausanne, the Youth Charter (www.YouthCharter.org) has issued a bold Call to Action and unveiled a global expansion plan for its proven Community Campus model.

The initiative aims to establish 10 Community Campuses by 2030 across high-need urban and rural communities worldwide, leveraging sport, arts, culture, and digital engagement to address youth disaffection, violence, inequality, and lack of opportunity.

“The IOC has recognised the power of sport as a global force for hope, humanity, and sustainable development,” said Professor Geoff Thompson MBE FRSA DL, Founder and Chair of the Youth Charter. “Our Community Campuses provide the infrastructure, programming, and purpose to turn that vision into real-world impact where it’s needed most.”

A Model of Measurable Impact

Over the past three decades, the Youth Charter has demonstrated that community-based sport development can improve educational attainment, reduce youth crime, and promote mental well-being. The Campus model provides:

Safe, inclusive spaces for play, learning and support
Youth-led programmes focused on leadership, volunteering, and enterprise
Local delivery of Olympic values through “Mini-Olympics” and community festivals
Alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and Olympism365 agenda

A Call for Global Partnership

The Youth Charter is now calling on:

The IOC and Olympic Movement stakeholders
UN agencies and global sport-for-development networks
National governments and philanthropic partners to co-invest in the implementation and scaling of these campuses as part of a global legacy framework that brings the Olympism365 Summit commitments to life.

From Pledge to Practice

The Youth Charter’s proposal includes a Global Knowledge Exchange Platform and the publication of a new Legacy Report, highlighting 30+ years of data, case studies, and testimonials. This initiative builds toward the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games as a milestone of shared accountability and impact.

“Together, we can empower a new generation of young people to thrive through the Olympic spirit,” added Professor Thompson. “Now is the time to act with purpose, partnership, and passion.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Youth Charter.

Youth Charter @ Social Media:
LinkedIn: @ YouthCharter
Facebook: @ YouthCharter
Instagram: @ youthchartersdp
YouTube: @ YouthCharter
X: @ YOUTHCHARTER

Youth Charter #Hashtags:
#InternationalOlympicCommittee
#Olympism
#Fight4theStreets
#YoungLivesLost
#Call2Action
#LegacyOpportunity4All
#SportDevelopmentPeace
#Empowerthenextgeneration
#CommonwealthSecretariat
#UNSustainableDevelopmentGoals

About Youth Charter:
The Youth Charter is a UK registered charity and UN accredited non-governmental organisation. Launched in 1993 as part of the Manchester 2000 Olympic Bid and the 2002 Commonwealth Games, the Youth Charter has Campaigned and Promoted the role and value of sport, art, culture and digital technology in the lives of disaffected young people from disadvantaged communities nationally and internationally. The Youth Charter has a proven track record in the creation and delivery of social and human development programmes with the overall aim of providing young people with an opportunity to develop in life.

Specifically, The Youth Charter Tackles educational non-attainment, health inequality, anti-social behaviour and the negative effects of crime, drugs, gang related activity and racism by applying the ethics of sporting and artistic excellence. These can then be translated to provide social and economic benefits of citizenship, rights responsibilities, with improved education, health, social order, environment and college, university, employment and enterprise.

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July 9, 2025

United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Statement on the Loss of Lives, Inlcuding a Young Girl, During the Saba Saba (7 7) Protests in Kenya

Source: APO

UNICEF expresses its condolences to the families who lost loved ones during the Saba Saba (7 7) protests in Kenya.

We especially extend our heartfelt sympathies to the family of a young girl who was tragically killed by a stray bullet while sitting innocently in the sanctity of her own home.

UNICEF is also deeply concerned by reports of children being arrested during the protests. Detention should be the last resort as outlined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Africa Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child. Minors who have been detained must have immediate access to appropriate legal assistance, family contact and should be separated from adults while in custody for the shortest time possible.

Children must be protected from harm – ̵at all times and under all circumstances. It is their fundamental right.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of UNICEF Eastern and Southern Africa.

July 9, 2025

Ethiopia: Nejashi Tomb and Mosque Restored After Civil War Damage

Source: APO

Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) has successfully completed the restoration of the Nejashi Tomb and Mosque, located in the village of Nejashi in Ethiopia’s Tigray region, widely regarded as the first Muslim settlement in Africa.

The project, carried out with TİKA’s support, enabled the restoration of this historically significant site, which had suffered considerable damage during the recent civil war.

The Nejashi Tomb and Mosque, believed to be the first destination of Muslim migration and a symbol of the hospitality shown by the Abyssinian King Najashi, stands as one of TİKA’s most esteemed restoration efforts. Originally restored in 2019, the complex sustained damage during the civil conflict between 2020 and 2022.

As part of the renewed renovation works led by TİKA, key structural components, including the tomb’s dome, the mosque’s minaret, as well as the walls and wooden elements of the multipurpose hall, were repaired. Additional restoration addressed deterioration caused by time and weather throughout the site.

Thanks to this initiative, the Nejashi Tomb and Mosque, one of the most cherished examples of our shared historical and cultural heritage abroad, has been preserved for future generations. Through this project, TİKA has not only safeguarded an important symbol of Islamic history in Africa but also reinforced bonds of friendship and cultural solidarity.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA).

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July 9, 2025

Ambassador Chen Mingjian Meets with the United Nations (UN) Resident Coordinator in Tanzania Susan Ngongi Namondo

Source: APO

On July 7, Chinese Ambassador to Tanzania H.E. Chen Mingjian met with UN Resident Coordinator in Tanzania Susan Ngongi Namondo at the Embassy. They exchanged views on furthering tripartite cooperation among China, Tanzania and UN.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the United Republic of Tanzania.

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July 9, 2025

Teen pregnancy a threat to social and economic development

Source: Government of South Africa

Deputy Minister in the Presidency responsible for Women, Youth, and Persons with Disabilities Steve Letsike says the scourge of teenage pregnancy is not only a health concern but a threat to the nation’s social and moral fibre and future prosperity.

“Teenage pregnancy is robbing too many of our girls of their childhood and their future, and it will take all of us working together to turn the tide,” Letsike said.

Addressing a stakeholder engagement in Pretoria earlier today aimed at addressing the persistent ongoing scourge of teenage pregnancy in South Africa, Letsike said in 2024 alone, over 90 000 pregnancies were recorded among girls aged 10 to 19 and 2 328 of those pregnancies were in girls between 10 and 14 years old.

“To call this alarming would be an understatement. These are children, some barely in their teens, some not even teenagers, now forced into motherhood,” Letsike said.

Letsike said a child as young as 10 becoming pregnant was not just a statistic but evidence of a profound societal failure and a horrific crime because a girl that young cannot legally give consent.

“This crisis threatens the very foundation of our social and economic development as teenage pregnancy poses a serious threat to the health, rights, education and socio-economic well-being of girls.

“When a young girl becomes a mother, her chances of finishing school plummet, her job prospects diminish and she often becomes trapped in a cycle of poverty.

“In other words, today’s teen pregnancy is tomorrow’s poverty and inequality. We must recognise this as not only a public health issue but a social justice emergency,” the Deputy Minister said.

Letsike said the high incidence of adolescent pregnancy in the country was interlinked with other scourges of HIV and other STI infection rates, child sexual abuse, statutory rape, gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF), poverty, educational exclusion, substance abuse and even toxic elements of popular culture.

“To craft effective solutions, we must honestly confront how and why so many young girls are getting pregnant,” Letsike said.

Deputy Minister in the Presidency Nonceba Mhlauli said teenage pregnancy in South Africa has reached deeply concerning levels with more than 90 000 births recorded among girls aged 10 to 19.

“These are not just numbers, they are a stark reflection of our socio-economic challenges and a call to action. Teenage pregnancy is more than a health crisis,” she said.

Mhlauli said the response to teenage pregnancy must be urgent, coordinated and compassionate.

“Government cannot do this work alone. We need the support of all pillars of society, parents, faith leaders, educators, civil society, the media and the private sector.

“As the Presidency, we are committed to supporting this cause through improved coordination, targeted interventions and policy coherence because the future of our country depends on the safety, empowerment and well-being of our children,” she said.

Chairperson of the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) Board Asanda Luwaca said “young girls are our sisters, our classmates, our cousins, our peers and children”.

“It is an indictment of our inability, as a collective, to fully protect the bodies, rights and dreams of girls, especially those from poor, rural and marginalised communities, especially differently abled.

“We know that teenage pregnancy is not a standalone issue. It is deeply interwoven with child sexual abuse, gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF), educational exclusion, toxic gender norms, substance abuse, and the predatory dynamics of poverty,” she said.

Luwaca said teenage pregnancy was not just about health, but injustice.

“It is about gender inequality, poverty, exploitation, broken family systems, absent accountability and a dangerous silence that protects perpetrators more than it protects girls.

“And until we confront these intersecting issues head-on with honesty, bravery and unflinching determination, we will continue to fail the young women of this nation. South Africa has the policies. We have the frameworks. What we need now is unapologetic implementation across every level of society,” Luwaca said.

The engagement with stakeholders is part of an initiative to establish a Roadmap to South Africa’s Teenage Pregnancy Prevention and Management Response. – SAnews.gov.za