An insult to the poor

Posted by Madibeng Kgwete: 06 October 2010

Meshack Mabogoane ignores all established knowledge in a bid to insult the poor, “Teenage girls the victims of the new Nongqawuse” (Business Day, 06 October 2010).

Mabogwane claims that unmarried teenagers “are having more children to access more grants” and proposes the formulation of a “commission of inquiry to investigate why there has been an exponential increase in child grant dependants.”

So, in essence, Mabogoane is proposing that a commission be set up to confirm his conviction that teenagers fall pregnant in order to receive grants.

He ignores the fact that the incidence of teenage pregnancy is not unique to South Africa. And some of the countries where teenage pregnancy is as prevalent do not even have a social grant system similar to South Africa’s.

Various academic studies – and some by organisations such as the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) – have attributed the prevalence of teenage pregnancy to several factors, amongst them dysfunctional families and various negative societal influences.

Currently, the monthly child support grant is R240, not enough to buy me breakfast, lunch and dinner in one day.

It is ridiculous to suggest that the many teenagers falling pregnant do so with the sole purpose of receiving this pittance.

See Mabogoane's article here: http://www.businessday.co.za/articles/Content.aspx?id=122902