Latest news with #Simelane
The Herald
3 days ago
- Health
- The Herald
KZN health MEC Simelane calls for urgent action against older men impregnating girls
'This is not only a health crisis, it's a social justice emergency. Unless we talk about it and act decisively, we will continue to see young lives destroyed. We are raising a broken generation if we remain silent,' said Simelane. The MEC called for unity and decisive action, proposing that district mayors, amakhosi (traditional leaders) and izinduna (headmen) collaborate with government and civil society to confront the crisis. 'We need to come together and deal with this matter head-on because the activities are happening where we are. Children get pregnant in our societies, in our communities.' Simelane also highlighted the troubling pattern where victims, once pregnant, avoid healthcare services due to fear of exposing perpetrators, who are often adult men who are family breadwinners or protected by informal family agreements. 'What is more concerning is that some young victims stop accessing healthcare and social services once they realise we are legally required to report the perpetrators. This puts young girls at high risk, specially when they are forced to give birth in unsafe conditions.' Under law, any sexual activity with a person under the age of 16 is considered statutory rape. Clinics and hospitals are required to report such cases to law enforcement authorities.
TimesLIVE
3 days ago
- Health
- TimesLIVE
KZN health MEC Simelane calls for urgent action against older men impregnating girls
KwaZulu-Natal health MEC Nomagugu Simelane has issued an urgent call for an open and collaborative national dialogue to tackle the disturbing rise in child and teenage pregnancies, particularly those involving adult men. Speaking at a meeting of the provincial council on Aids held in Durban, Simelane expressed deep concern about recent statistics showing thousands of teenage and child pregnancies in eThekwini municipality, including girls as young as 10. 'We are extremely worried about the high number of children who are falling pregnant,' said Simelane. Her comments came in response to data shared during the Teenage Pregnancy Indaba hosted by the eThekwini municipality at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre. The municipality revealed 7,627 cases of teenage pregnancy between April 2024 and April 2025. Even more alarming is that 154 of the pregnancies involved girls aged between 10 and 14.
The Citizen
5 days ago
- Business
- The Citizen
R3.9m for Dalikosi pedestrian bridge
The deputy mayor of Alfred Duma Local Municipality, Cllr S Simelane, visited the Dalikosi area (Ward 30) – under the leadership of Ward Councillor ZI Madondo – on Monday. The purpose of the visit was to formally introduce the appointed contractor responsible for completing the Dalikosi pedestrian bridge project. This service delivery initiative is aimed at addressing the needs of the community, particularly to improve safety and accessibility for schoolchildren in the area. Madondo welcomed all the attendees, thanked the community for their presence and introduced Simelane, who officiated the contractor's introduction. In his remarks, Simelane commended the community for their continued support of their ward councillor and urged residents to take pride in the new infrastructure and work together to ensure its protection. Also read: Road closure in certain streets due to maintenance Uhaqane NI Contractors was officially introduced as the appointed contractor for the project. The construction of the Dalikosi pedestrian bridge, valued at R3.9 million, is expected to be completed within six months. The project will provide employment opportunities for 13 local community members. The contractor assured the community that the project will be implemented smoothly and in close co-ordination with relevant stakeholders. The event was also attended by ward committee members, municipal officials, Induna and community members. Please follow us on our YouTube channel and do not be shy; please subscribe and comment as well. Click to receive news links via WhatsApp. Or for the latest news, visit our webpage or follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Join us there! At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
TimesLIVE
7 days ago
- General
- TimesLIVE
‘Finish what we started': Simelane urges provinces to complete upgrades to informal settlements
Human settlements minister Thembi Simelane has urged all provinces to prioritise housing projects that have not been completed. Simelane made the remarks after six family members died when their shack caught fire in Marikana Informal settlement in Kwa-Thema, east of Johannesburg. She said the department has been inundated after several disasters over the past few weeks, particularly in KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape. 'The unfortunate incidents in our informal settlements are a clear sign that we should accelerate and invest in the upgrading of informal settlements and commit to finishing all the stalled projects around the country. This will enable qualifying beneficiaries to have access to decent shelter, prevent loss of life and improve the quality of household life', said Simelane. She said the department plans to upgrade just over 4,000 informal settlements during the course of the 2024-29 Medium Term Development Plan. Simelane underscored the importance of collaboration among all stakeholders in dealing with informal settlements around the country. This includes the government, the private sector, NGOs and communities. In response to the incident in Ekurhuleni, Simelane has tasked the Emergency Housing Unit, a team responsible for disasters within the department of human settlements, to work with the Gauteng department of human settlements and the City of Ekurhuleni to assist the affected household.
The Citizen
25-05-2025
- Health
- The Citizen
Call for community dialogue to address child and teenage pregnancies
Call for community dialogue to address child and teenage pregnancies Clinics and hospitals are required by law to report all suspected cases of statutory rape. This is according to KZN Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane, who has called for dialogue to address teenage and child pregnancies, particularly the 'disturbing pattern of older men impregnating underage girls'. ALSO READ: Department of Health makes sexual health easier for women 'I want to make a proposal that we lead from the front in combatting this crisis between ourselves and district mayors, amakhosi (traditional leaders) and izinduna (headmen) – we need to come together and deal with this matter head-on because these activities are happening right where we are, children get pregnant in our societies in our communities. 'Unless we talk about it and act decisively, we will continue to see young lives destroyed. We are raising a broken generation if we remain silent,' she said. Simelane was speaking at a meeting of the Provincial Council on Aids held in Durban. South African law defines statutory rape as any sexual activity with a person under the age of 16, and makes the reporting of such cases to law enforcement mandatory. She said the issue is both a health crisis and a social justice emergency that demands speedy intervention. 'We are extremely worried about the high number of children who are falling pregnant,' said MEC Simelane. 'What is even more concerning is that some of these young victims stop accessing healthcare and social services once they realise that we are legally required to report the perpetrators. 'In many cases, this is done to protect breadwinners or due to informal agreements between families. But this puts young girls at high risk, especially when they are forced to give birth in unsafe conditions.' Don't have the ZO app? Download it to your Android or Apple device here: HAVE YOUR SAY Like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter. For news straight to your phone invite us: WhatsApp – 060 784 2695 Instagram – zululand_observer At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
