Over 700 teenagers impregnated in 2022; MP calls for stiffer penalties for child molesters

The Ministry of Health And Child Care has been challenged to present its strategy to curb teenage pregnancies after it was revealed that more than 700 girls aged between 10 and 14 years gave birth in 2022.

Zimbabwe Statistical Agency (Zimstat) recently launched its Vital Statistics Report, which according to MDC legislator, Ruth Labode, showed the urgent need to address teenage pregnancies.

“Disaggregated data on the Distribution of Births by Age of Mother released during the launch of the Zimstat Vital Statistics Report shows that 700 girls aged 10 to 14 gave birth in 2022,” said Labode.

“What does this say about this country? Could the Minister of Health and Child Care bring a Ministerial Statement and tell us what strategy they have to curb this scourge of teenage pregnancies? A ten-year-old is not a teenager but a baby,” she added.

The Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Monica Mutsvangwa concurred with Labode describing the situation as ‘very sad’ adding it will be dealt with by the inter-ministerial strategy.

“The Government is seized with it and the Ministry of Health is putting a lot of strategies which they would need to articulate in this House.

“I think it is in order when the Hon. Members asked for a Ministerial Statement which will articulate step by step what they are doing.  To have 700 young girls aged 10 to 14 getting pregnant is very sad.

“This is something which we need to understand from the Home Affairs Ministry to see how many people have been jailed or castrated if they need to be.

 “A ten-year-old is a baby and for any person in his right sense to actually take her as a woman, I think there is an element of madness which needs to be dealt with; an element of cruelty or animal behavior which needs to be dealt with,” she added.