KwaZulu-Natal hospitals have welcomed dozens of newborns on New Year’s Day, bringing joy to families across the province.
Among them was Thokozani Msibi, who celebrated the arrival of her third child, a baby girl, at Lenmed La Verna Private Hospital. Sisters Shawnee Moodley, Happiness Mkhize and Portia Hadebe were on hand to congratulate the new mother.
Following early updates, the total number of recorded deliveries in KwaZulu-Natal now stands at 144, including 73 boys and 71 girls.
KwaZulu-Natal Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane commented on the release of the department’s New Year’s Day birth figures, saying, “We are delighted to welcome these new lives into our province. Each birth is a celebration of hope and family, and we thank our dedicated healthcare workers who ensured safe deliveries across all our hospitals.”
While the new arrivals are celebrated, health authorities have reiterated concern over teenage pregnancies. Preliminary data indicates that 21 of the mothers are teenagers.
The youngest mothers so far are two 16-year-olds who gave birth at Benedictine Hospital in the Zululand District and Queen Nandi Regional Hospital in the King Cetshwayo District. In both cases, the fathers are 21 years old, and the pregnancies reportedly occurred when the girls were 15.
Other recorded teenage mothers include nine young women aged 17 to 19 across provincial hospitals, including Newcastle, PMMH, Mseleni, Queen Nandi, Mahatma Gandhi and Eshowe.
“I’m truly blessed to have this angel arriving on a day the whole world celebrates. It’s for me not just the birth of my third child, but a special gift on New Year’s Day,” said Thokozani Msibi, who also thanked the staff and nurses on duty for their assistance and the special care given to her new arrival.
MEC Simelane also stressed that teenage pregnancies remain a growing concern in the province. “While we celebrate these new lives, the high number of very young mothers highlights the urgent need for education, guidance and access to reproductive healthcare for teenagers,” she said.
