By Nokuthaba Dlamini
BEITBRIDGE (The Citizen Bulletin) —Sally Moyo’s daughter is about to be a teen mother.
“The person she dated was from Angola, and we did not know much about him,” says Moyo from Dulibadzimu in Beitbridge.
“He had identified himself as Patrick Nakano, and they dated for a very short time, and he left for South Africa. He used to stay with other villagers who accommodate immigrants, and right now, my daughter is seven months pregnant, and this man has never communicated.”
Moyo’s daughter is part of a high number of schoolgirls in Beitbridge communities who are reportedly getting pregnant due to the elongated COVID-19 lockdown and an upsurge in undocumented immigrants.
Representatives from local communities and organisations say illicit and informal activities have broken the social and moral fibre within their communities—young children are now abandoning school, attracted by lucrative opportunities being generated under COVID-19 cover.
A nurse at Shashe Clinic says most teenagers who had fallen pregnant are struggling with birth complications.
“We are still recording cases of teenage pregnancies as early as thirteen years, and these figures are worrying us a lot as health workers,” says the nurse on condition of anonymity.
“Most of these children are having complications giving birth such that we have sent others to our district hospital as they will be having difficulties giving birth.”
“Their pelvic areas wouldn’t have developed fully while some have had prematurely born babies, so this is a worrisome trend that requires some attention because some have also tested positive for HIV.”
In a recent report, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) revealed an increase of teenage pregnancies and early marriages amid COVID-19 in the communities and had left the communities torn apart.
“Shashe Clinic in Ward 8 reported 38 teen pregnancies from October 2020 to date, compared to the period June to Sept 2020 which had about 22 teen pregnancies,” reads the IOM report.
“This was attributed to schools’ closure and lack of reproductive health services in the communities, which include access to condoms, contraceptives, and information,” IOM adds.
Beitbridge, which mainly survives on the informal economy, consists of service providers providing food, accommodation, and transport operators who facilitate the passage of smuggled goods, contraband, and undocumented migrants.
The activities around the unofficial points of entry and nearby congregation areas, according to Mtetengwe and Makakabule villagers, have brought several societal challenges among communities.
“Our children have stopped going to school, and girls have fallen pregnant while some are nursing children who have no fathers,” says Mlauzi.
“These people include some immigrants on transit, and they prey on our children when we accommodate them, and this is the reason why most of our children are single mothers at a young age.”
Meanwhile, Moyo wants a lasting change that will stop what she and her family are going through.
“These people have destroyed the lives of our daughters, and some have tested positive for some diseases, yet no action is being taken. We want health officials from the government to educate our children about these risks so that their futures are not spoiled and they continue going to school,” she says.
Ministry of Health and Child Care spokesperson Donald Mujiri says they will investigate the matter through their provincial health personnel.
As part of efforts to reduce teenage pregnancies, rights groups are pushing for access to sexual and reproductive health services for adolescents and young women.
This article was originally published by The Citizen Bulletin, a non-profit news organization that produces hard-hitting, hyperlocal reporting and analysis for the southwestern region of Matabeleland.ne**@*******************co.zw
