Mzansi Moms Celebrate As they Welcome 509 Newborns on New Year's Day, South Africans Weigh In: "Too Many"

• South African moms welcomed over 500 newborns, with three sets of twins being born in Gauteng on New Year's day
• The Gauteng Health MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko visited a few moms at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital and gave them gifts to celebrate
• South Africans, however, are not enthused by the new births because one of the new moms is a 15-year-old girl from KwaZulu-Natal

JOHANNESBURG - The new year has ushered in 509 new births in South Africa.

The national health department spokesperson Foster Mohale says the births of 250 girls and 259 boys were recorded between midnight and midday on 1 January 2023.

In Gauteng, a total of 167 new births were recorded, including three sets of twins, according to IOL.

Gauteng Health MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko visited a few new moms who gave birth at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital and presented the moms and their bundles of joy with gifts.

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Nkomo-Ralehoko explained that the purpose of the visit was to encourage new moms to exclusively breastfeed and make use of the Department of Home Affairs' in-house offices to register their babies before going home.

Teenage pregnancy is still a problem in South Africa

According to News24, a 15-year-old girl was among the new moms who gave birth on the first day of 2023. The teenager delivered a baby boy at the Port Shepstone Hospital in KwaZulu-Natal.

Mohale says the Department of Health plans to address teenage pregnancy in collaboration with various stakeholders, including youth organisations.

The department also has plans to intensify sexual reproductive health awareness campaigns to improve access to family planning services.

South Africans weigh in on the new births in Mzansi

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@SharonD273 said:

"Shocking number of births. No celebration. The world is overpopulated. Stop breeding."

@Irmgard_SW said:

"This should not have happened. 15-years-old. The parents must also be held accountable."

@PhilaneC said:

"All these are the results of loadshedding. That's all we do when there's no form of entertainment, just making babies!"

@KarenLloydDick1 said:

"509 too many. Population in SA growing at rate of knots and the vast majority having kids can’t support or school them. Perhaps SA should look at the Chinese model of 1 child per couple."

@Eustace12057380 said:

"Only fools celebrate a 15-year-old mother giving birth. A child having a child?"

Christmas time cheer: Over 500 babies delivered on Christmas Day across South Africa

Briefly News previously reported that the Department of Health welcomed over 500 babies born between midnight and midday on Christmas Day across the country.

The majority of the babies were delivered in Gauteng, while Limpopo and Mpumalanga recorded some of the first childbirths. Healthy babies were also born at exactly midnight in the Voortrekker Hospital in Mokopane and Themba Hospital in Kabokweni.

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The Department of Health congratulated the parents and healthcare professionals for delivering the little ones. MEC for Health and Wellness, Nomantu Nkomo–Ralehoko celebrated the Christmas time cheer.

Source: Briefly News