JOHANNESBURG - The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) on Monday condemned the dumping of babies, saying it has become a growing social problem in South Africa.
The party in a statement said: "We are concerned about this tendency of dumping newly-born babies by some women which has almost become a daily occurrence. We appeal to the police to come up with stringent measures to deter would-be offenders. Women need to be responsible and not take actions like throwing away babies who might have had a bright future ahead."
This comes after a baby girl was found and rescued from a drain pipe in Durban.
The IFP said it is of the view that steps "to prevent unwanted and teenage pregnancies" should be encouraged.
"Additionally, boys and men ought to be taught 'to take greater responsibility for their children', and community protection systems should be strengthened and 'non-judgmental support' provided to pregnant women," IFP KwaZulu-Natal spokesperson on Social Development Ncamisile Nkwanyana said
"There is no excuse for the dumping and abandoning of babies and children. We urge prospective and new parents to visit any local or regional Department of Social Development (DSD) office closest to them, and seek the services of a social worker."
The party said it believes that one of the most effective ways to combat this "social ill" is to scale-up the use of contraception among sexually active women in order to avoid unplanned pregnancies.