Latest news with #andPersonswithDisabilities
The Citizen
6 days ago
- Health
- The Citizen
Teenage pregnancy labelled a national crisis by deputy minister
Steve Letsike, deputy minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth, and Persons with Disabilities, has warned that teenage pregnancy is not only a health issue but also a threat to South Africa's social fabric and future prosperity. Speaking at a high-level stakeholder engagement in Pretoria, Letsike said there were over 90 000 pregnancies recorded among girls aged between 10 and 19 in 2024, with more than 2 300 of these cases involving girls between 10 and 14. 'To call this alarming would be an understatement. These are children, some barely in their teens, some not even teenagers, now forced into motherhood,' he said. He stressed that a child as young as 10 becoming pregnant was not just a statistic but a tragic societal failure and, in many cases, the result of criminal acts. 'This crisis threatens the foundation of our social and economic development. Teenage pregnancy poses a serious threat to the health, rights, education and socio-economic well-being of girls,' he said. The deputy minister explained that teen mothers are more likely to drop out of school, face reduced job prospects, and become trapped in poverty – a cycle that perpetuates inequality. '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.' Letsike added that the crisis is linked to a range of broader societal issues, including child sexual abuse, statutory rape, HIV and STI rates, gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF), poverty, substance abuse and harmful cultural narratives. 'To craft effective solutions, we must honestly confront how and why so many young girls are getting pregnant,' he said. Deputy ,inister in the Presidency Nonceba Mhlauli echoed these concerns, saying the numbers reflect deeper socio-economic issues and require an urgent, coordinated response. 'These are not just numbers. Teenage pregnancy is more than a health crisis – it's a national emergency. Government cannot do this work alone,' she said. Mhlauli called on all sectors of society, including parents, educators, faith-based organisations, civil society, media and the private sector, to unite in safeguarding the future of South Africa's children. Chairperson of the National Youth Development Agency, Asanda Luwaca, also addressed the engagement, calling teenage pregnancy an injustice rooted in systemic failures. 'It is about gender inequality, poverty, exploitation, broken family systems, absent accountability and a dangerous silence that protects perpetrators more than it protects girls,' said Luwaca. She emphasised the importance of implementation, saying South Africa already has policies and frameworks in place. 'What we need now is unapologetic implementation across every level of society,' she said. The stakeholder engagement is part of a national initiative to establish a Roadmap to South Africa's Teenage Pregnancy Prevention and Management Response. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
eNCA
26-05-2025
- Politics
- eNCA
Discussion Women's minister to lead session with UN Group
JOHANNESSBURG - The Minister of Women, Youth, and Persons with Disabilities will lead a meeting with United Nations Women. They will focus on advancing inclusive growth through the G20. The aim is to show the socio-economic value of advancing gender equality, women's empowerment, and disability inclusion.
The Star
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
MacG apologises to Minnie Dlamini after backlash over offensive comments
Masabata Mkwananzi | Published 1 hour ago Podcaster MacGyver 'MacG' Mukwevho's comments about Minnie Dlamini sparked accusations of misogyny and prompted widespread condemnation, leading to a public apology. Podcaster MacGyver 'MacG' Mukwevho has done an unexpected U-turn, publicly apologising to Minnie Dlamini after facing backlash for his offensive comments. The controversy began in one of the episodes of Podcast and Chill when MacG and co-host Sol Phenduka discussed Dlamini's breakup with her ex-partner, Dr Brian Monaisa. The conversation rapidly veered into controversial territory. "Why can't she keep a man? There's got to be something wrong with her — maybe her c**chie smells or something," MacG said during the discussion, adding: "It happens, man, especially with the hot girls." MacG's remarks quickly drew widespread backlash, with social media users, advocacy groups, TV channels like Moja Love, and even Deputy Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Mmapaseka Steve Letsike, condemning his behaviour and slamming him for using offensive language against women. Letsike cautioned that such remarks go beyond being merely offensive, stating they amount to a form of online gender-based violence, as defined in South Africa's National Strategic Plan on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide. 'This incident is not a harmless joke or casual banter – it is a harrowing demonstration of online gender-based violence,' she said. The deputy minister voiced her disgust, describing MacG actions as part of a recurring pattern of misogynistic behaviour. She further revealed that multiple women have reportedly initiated legal proceedings against him. 'Women cannot be reduced to vulgar slurs and the objectification of the female body, as this is a damaging reinforcement of gender-based disrespect and consequently violence,' she said. Moja Love strongly condemned MacG's remarks, criticising his continued use of offensive language towards women. In a statement, the channel said, 'MacG's persistent use of derogatory language towards women, reducing them to vulgar slurs and objectifying their bodies is not just offensive, it is a damaging reinforcement of gender-based disrespect.' They added that such conduct has no place in society or the media, 'where voices should uplift, not degrade.' Women For Change also condemned MacG's comments about Minnie Dlamini, describing them as 'misogynistic and degrading.' The organisation expressed that his remarks were 'not only vile and dehumanising but also reflect the deeply rooted toxic masculinity that continues to endanger and humiliate women in South Africa.' Macg found himself in legal trouble before. In October 2024, he was hit with a R13 million lawsuit after spreading harmful rumours about amapiano artist Nkosazana Daughter. During a past broadcast, MacG insinuated that Nkosazana Daughter had an affair with musician Master KG and claimed that her child was fathered by him, not her then-partner, Sir Trill. MacG eventually apologised publicly after Nkosazana Daughter's family denied the claims, expressing regret for making assumptions based on a photo of the child. "We were wrong. She looks just like Sir Trill," he said in his apology. However, he also insisted that he had information from a 'credible source' claiming that Sir Trill was not financially supporting the child. In the podcast episode that aired on May 12, MacG issued an apology to all the women offended by his comments about Minnie Dlamini, saying it was never his intention to upset anyone. 'I want to apologise first and foremost to all the female chillers and just women in general in South Africa that I might have offended with that comment, that was not the intention. You know, we never say things to offend people.' He also invited Dlamini to join him on the show, saying she is 'more than welcome' to come on so they can 'squash it' once and for all. 'This thing started on the podcast, let's end it on the podcast. She said some things, I've said some things, let's squash it once and for all, bro,' said MacG. The Star
