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The Health Law Policy (HLPC) and the Institute for Young Women’s Development (IYWD) are pushing for the amendment of the Termination of Pregnancy Act to create a safe abortion environment for women and girls.
The Act, also known as Chapter 15:10, specifies certain circumstances under which a pregnancy may be terminated, such as in cases of rape, incest, or when the pregnancy poses a risk to the mother’s health.
However, the two organisations feel that the circumstances under which abortion is permitted are not broad enough to allow safe abortions.
In an interview with <a href="https://www.newzimbabwe.com/civil-societies-lobby-for-safe-abortions/">NewZimbabwe.com</a> on the sidelines of a media sensitisation training held over the weekend, HLPC programmes coordinator Dorcas Chitiyo said:
<blockquote>
The issue that we are grappling with is that there are many barriers that women face, that are in existence, that are prohibiting access to safe abortions.
We start with our legal framework, which is the Termination of Pregnancy Act of 1977.
It creates challenges for women because it has very restricted grounds on which abortion is legal…maybe a woman is a survivor of a sexually violent offence or rape resulting in pregnancy, a crime of incest or in the event that it has been recommended by a doctor that the pregnancy continuation is not safe for the child as well as the quality of life for the child is anticipated to be so poor that termination is recommended by a medical practitioner.
Now given that this act is from 1977, there have been many medical advances and much research and a lot of work done to ensure that abortions are accessed safely through medical procedures and medically without the need to always resort to surgical processes.
</blockquote>
Chitiyo said that women face several challenges due to restrictive abortion laws in Zimbabwe, arguing that limited legal options lead to unsafe, clandestine procedures, risking women’s health and lives.
Current laws criminalise both those seeking and assisting with abortions, leading to stigma and danger.
The HLPC and ITYD, supported by the Safe Abortion Action Fund, have prepared a position paper arguing for immediate reform to improve access to safe, legal abortions in Zimbabwe.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Pindula News

Zimbabwe civil society groups want to change the abortion law to make it easier for women to have safe abortions. Right now, the law only allows abortions in certain situations, like rape or when the mother's health is at risk. The groups think the law is too strict and makes it hard for women to get safe abortions. They say the law is from a long time ago and things have changed. They want to make sure women can have safe abortions without risks to their health. They are asking the government to change the law to make it easier for women to have safe and legal abortions.

Zimbabwe Civil Society Groups Call For Broader Abortion Rights

The Harare High Court has ruled that a law denying access to legal abortion for children under 18 and married women raped by their husbands is unconstitutional. However, the ruling is subject to confirmation by the Constitutional Court before it becomes effective.
Under the Termination of Pregnancy Act, abortion was allowed only in three circumstances: if the pregnancy endangered the woman’s life, if there were a serious risk the child would suffer permanent physical or mental defects, or if the pregnancy resulted from rape (excluding marital rape).
The court’s decision extends abortion access to women who are victims of marital rape, aligning with the legal recognition of marital rape as a crime.
This ruling stems from a case filed by Women in Law in Southern Africa (WLSA), which sought to expand abortion rights and post-abortion care for minors and women who are survivors of sexual violence, including those subjected to marital rape.
WLSA challenged Section 2(1) of the Termination of Pregnancy Act, which restricted access to legal abortion for minors and married women raped by their spouses.
The action was filed against Health and Child Care Minister Douglas Mombeshora, Parliament, and Attorney-General Virginia Mabiza, all of whom did not oppose the application.
Human rights lawyer Tendai Bit represented WLSA and Talent Forget in the case.
Justice Maxwell Takuva, in a November 22 judgement, declared section 2(1) of the Termination of Pregnancy Act [Chapter 15:10] “unconstitutional and invalid.” He ruled:
<blockquote>
In my view, the dignity of adolescent children who are impregnated, the dignity of married women who are raped is adversely affected by the provisions of s 2(1) of the Act.
The Zimbabwe constitution protects the right of every person to the entitlement of inherent dignity in their private and public life and the right to have that dignity respected and protected. The right to dignity is foundational and has been equated with the right to life.
Section 2 of the Act falls away immediately as a consequence of Constitutional Court judgments. Firstly, once the Constitutional Court had outlawed child marriages as it did in the Mudzuri case and once the court outlawed and raised the age of sexual consent to 18 years as it did in the Diana Eunise Kamwenda case, it means that sexual intercourse with a minor is unlawful.
Consequently, this type of unlawful intercourse should be included in the definition of ‘unlawful intercourse’ in section 2(1).
In the same vein, once the legislature has outlawed marital rape as it did with the amendments to the law, it follows then that section (2)(1) should be set aside.
</blockquote>
The ruling, if confirmed by the Constitutional Court, will allow abused children below 18 years of age to have access to safe and legal abortion.
Justice Takuva said section 81 of the Zimbabwe constitution provides that every child has a right to be protected from sexual exploitation. He added:
<blockquote>
In view of this, any sex with a minor is therefore unconstitutional and therefore any pregnancy arising from such sex has to be treated as unlawful intercourse for the purpose of section 2(1) of the Act.
Once it is accepted that the age of sexual consent consistent with section 81 of the constitution is 18, it becomes clear that any sexual act with a minor and indeed any pregnancy arising thereto, is unlawful and illegal.
Subjecting children to child pregnancies without a right to safe abortion is abuse and torture in violation of section 53 of the constitution of Zimbabwe.
</blockquote>
The judge said that in Zimbabwe, teenage pregnancies are primarily driven by poverty, with girls from impoverished backgrounds being particularly vulnerable to early child marriages and pregnancies. 
This creates a vicious cycle where young mothers, often from poor families, are compelled to raise children in a context of poverty, perpetuating the cycle. 
Justice Takuva said subjecting a child to bear another child or undergo illegal abortion constitutes torture and cruel treatment. He added:
<blockquote>
The definition of unlawful intercourse (in the Termination of Pregnancy Act) excludes unlawful and unconstitutional intercourse giving rise to pregnancy of a child below the age of 18.
To the extent that the age of sexual consent is 18, it therefore means that any intercourse with a child is unlawful and must be included as unlawful intercourse for the purposes of s 2(1) of the Act. Also, unlawful intercourse must include marital rape or rape within a marriage.
The failure to include in the definition of unlawful intercourse pregnancy of a minor, amounts to a breach of sections 81(1)(e)(f) and 18(2) of the constitution which protect the rights of children.
Allowing children to have pregnancies without an option of safe legal abortion also amounts to torture, cruel and degrading treatment in breach section 53 of the constitution of Zimbabwe.
Teenage pregnancies and failure to allow the legal safe abortions is a breach of the right to human dignity protected under section 51 of the constitution of Zimbabwe.
Quite clearly section 2(1) of the Act is also in breach of section 56(1) of the constitution in that it unlawfully discriminates between different categories of unlawful intercourse by omitting illegal and unlawful intercourse with a minor and rape within a marriage.
</blockquote>
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

The High Court in Zimbabwe says girls under 18 and women raped by their husbands can have legal abortions. This ruling is not final yet. Before, abortion was only allowed in certain cases. Now, victims of marital rape can also get abortions. A group called Women in Law in Southern Africa fought for this change. The judge says children need to be protected from abuse. He also says not giving them the option for a safe abortion is cruel. The ruling could help girls and women in bad situations get the help they need.

Zimbabwe High Court Affirms Abortion Rights For Underage Girls And Women Raped By Husbands

A 26-year-old registered general nurse, Devine Dlodlo, from Entumbane, Bulawayo, has been arrested for assisting a Form Four student in terminating her pregnancy.
Abortion is illegal in Zimbabwe, except in cases where the life of the mother is at risk, there is a risk of serious fetal impairment, or in instances of rape or incest, as per the Termination of Pregnancy Act of 1977.
The spokesperson of the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) in Bulawayo Province, Inspector Abednico Ncube, confirmed the incident to CITE reporter <a href="https://cite.org.zw/author/senzeni/">Senzeni Ncube</a>, which occurred on 06 July 024 at around 10:30 AM.
He said residents attending a funeral at Entumbane heard screams coming from the teen’s residence and went to check on what was happening. Said Insp. Ncube:
<blockquote>
Upon arrival, they saw the two accused persons in the house and the girl had blood stains on her thighs and lower limbs.
There was blood all over the house floor. They also discovered that she had given birth to a foetus, which was placed on the toilet floor.
</blockquote>
Insp. Ncube said a police report was made the following day at around 10:30 AM. He said:
<blockquote>
Upon interview, she confirmed that she was six months pregnant. She stated that she approached Dlodlo as a nurse to assist her with any drug to terminate her pregnancy. She was then given some unknown tablets to induce and terminate the pregnancy.
She then led the police to a bushy area near the shops at Entumbane, where she had dumped the foetus. It was recovered and taken to UBH mortuary awaiting a post-mortem. This led to the arrest of both accused persons.
</blockquote>
Insp. Ncube warned members of the public against terminating pregnancies as it is dangerous and they risk losing their lives.
The crime of unlawful termination carries a maximum prison sentence of five years.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

A 26-year-old nurse helped a student in Zimbabwe have an illegal abortion. Abortion is only legal in certain cases. The police found out about the incident when people heard screams at the girl's house and saw blood. The girl admitted she was six months pregnant and asked the nurse for help. The fetus was found in a bushy area. The nurse and the girl were arrested. The police warn that terminating pregnancies is dangerous and can lead to prison time.

Bulawayo Nurse Assists Form Four Pupil Abort Six-Month Pregnancy

Traditional leaders have expressed their disapproval of calls by legislators for the legalisation of abortion through the abolition of the Termination of Pregnancy Act of 1977.
Speaking in the National Assembly last week, chairperson of the health and childcare portfolio committee, Daniel Molokele, who is also Hwange Central MP (CCC) said the Act should be repealed, arguing that it was against the promotion of gender equality as enshrined in the constitution and placed women in dangerous situations.
Molokele also stated that there was empirical evidence demonstrating a high prevalence of pregnancy termination, particularly among high school and university students.
Reacting to Molokele’s call for abortion to be legalised, Chief Ngungumbane of Mberengwa District in Midlands province, likened abortion to the murder of an innocent soul.
Speaking to the <a href="https://www.chronicle.co.zw/abortion-calls-spark-public-debate/">Chronicle</a>, the traditional leader said the calls for the legalisation of abortion go against Zimbabwe’s cultural norms and values, adding that Zimbabweans rejected its legalisation during the 2013 constitutional review exercise. He added:
<blockquote>
That is taboo. It is just the same as murder of an innocent soul hence its rejection in 2013, the same way gay rights were rejected.
These calls do not resonate well with our cultural norms and values, and even the marriage fabric will be badly affected.
</blockquote>
Chief Ngungumbane warned Zimbabweans against ” importing” foreign cultures in the name of human rights.
Chief Siabuwa of Binga said a child was a blessing from God and terminating pregnancy was going against the creator himself. He said:
<blockquote>
Do you want to die yourself as an individual, no one wants to die. Are children not a blessing from God and we all know they are? So, why are you denying them a right to life?
</blockquote>
Zimbabwe Council of Chiefs president, Senator Chief Mtshane Khumalo of Bubi District also described legalising abortion as a foreign practice. He said:
<blockquote>
As traditional leaders, there is nowhere we can recommend abortion, it is something foreign to our values and knowing the present Parliament, I don’t see that motion getting any support at all, there is no way that we can support this.
</blockquote>
Archbishop Alex Thomas of the Roman Catholic Church’s Archdiocese of Bulawayo said:
<blockquote>
The Bible clearly states that thou shall not kill. Abortion must only be in exceptional cases as enshrined in the law otherwise making it open will only make things worse for our society.
</blockquote>
However, Reverend Nhlanganiso Moyo of the Presbyterian Church said that he was not opposed to abortion, saying the issue was never mentioned in the Bible. He said:
<blockquote>
It should be legalised but with clear text that only on strong reasons must a person abort, otherwise we may lose our moral values and social fibre.
We welcome the proposal to review the Termination of Pregnancy to expand the circumstances under which safe abortion is allowed.
</blockquote>
Women’s Coalition of Zimbabwe health cluster lead executive director, Edinah Masiyiwa, told the Chronicle that her organisation was firmly behind calls to repeal the Act. She said:
<blockquote>
Women are dying from unsafe abortions, and treating unsafe abortion is costly to the nation compared to offering women safe abortion services.
</blockquote>
The Termination of Pregnancy Act only permits abortion in three specific scenarios:
<ul>
<li>The continuation of the pregnancy endangers the woman’s life or poses a serious threat of permanent impairment to her physical health.</li>
<li>The child may be born with serious physical or mental defects.</li>
<li>The fetus was conceived as a result of rape or incest.</li>
</ul>
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Traditional Leaders Reject Calls For The Legalisation Of Abortion

Hwange Central legislator, Daniel Molokele (CCC), has called for the repealing of the country’s Termination of Pregnancy Act, saying the law violates the Constitution’s promotion of gender equality and places women in dangerous situations.
Speaking in the National Assembly last week, cited empirical evidence demonstrating a high prevalence of abortions, particularly among high school and university students. Molokele said (via <a href="https://www.chronicle.co.zw/lawmaker-pushes-for-easier-access-to-safe-abortion/">Chronicle</a>):
<blockquote>
We have a law called the Termination of Pregnancy Act of 1977. It is one of the oldest laws in this country that is long overdue. It does not need to be amended, it needs to be repealed. It is possibly violating the Constitution of this country in terms of the clauses that speak to the promotion of gender equality…
At a community level, women are not being given a choice. Once you fall pregnant, you have to bear the consequences and this excludes a lot of women from having a second chance in life.
It is time to repeal the Termination of Pregnancy Act and replace it with a brand new Act that recognises the rights of women in this country and negates the patriarchal interest that the old Act has.
</blockquote>
Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Ziyambi Ziyambi, acknowledged the need for reforming the Termination of Pregnancy Act but instead proposed broadening the circumstances to allow for legal termination. He said:
<blockquote>
So you need to have a look at it and say, let us have situations where you say when the pregnancy is at this particular trimester, those in the medical field indicate that it is not safe even for the mother to terminate that particular pregnancy.
But I think we need conversations to update our laws and ensure that they speak to who we are and what is obtaining on the ground, not necessarily to remove it outright.
</blockquote>
The Termination of Pregnancy Act only permits abortion in three specific scenarios:
<ul>
<li>The continuation of the pregnancy endangers the woman’s life or poses a serious threat of permanent impairment to her physical health.</li>
<li>The child may be born with serious physical or mental defects.</li>
<li>The fetus was conceived as a result of rape or incest.</li>
</ul>
The law also prohibits unauthorised assistance with pregnancy termination and charges must be the standard fees charged by the institution.
However, reports suggest that abortion numbers have increased, with women turning to unsafe alternatives, such as illegal abortion pills and herbs.
In 2021, Dr Ruth Labode, the then-chairperson of Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Health and Child Care, reported a rise in illegal abortions, with numbers jumping from 60,000 to 80,000 annually.
Those who are against abortion argue that life begins at conception, making abortion similar to murder.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

CCC MP Pushes For Legalisation Of Abortion

Illicit drug dealers are openly selling abortion pills across the country and the pills can be bought by anyone, even children, provided one makes contact with the individuals who advertise their services online.
According to <a href="https://bmetro.co.zw/abortion-deals-pills-sold-like-sweets-on-the-streets/">B-Metro</a>, the Facebook page that advertises the services is called “Legal Abortions in Zimbabwe.”
There is no such thing as legal abortion in Zimbabwe but under the Termination of Pregnancy Act, pregnancies can be terminated by a registered medical practitioner authorised by a court order.
Where rape or incest results in a pregnancy, and in cases of abnormalities in the unborn child, or maternal conditions dangerous to the well-being of the mother, abortions are administered at law.
An investigation done by B-Metro revealed that the pills are available for US$60 and where the customer resides outside Harare, an additional US$5 would be charged.
Undercover journalists were able to buy the pills from Harare and a man identified as Morris delivered the product to Bulawayo at a parking lot of a popular supermarket yesterday (Thursday) afternoon.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a local pharmacist who was shown the abortion pills said they are used for inducing labour in hospitals and clinics. He said:
<blockquote>
These in a sealed package are pills that are used by doctors to induce labour, a medical practice done on a pregnant woman when the baby is overdue or when there is a risk to the mother or the baby’s health.
When administered for illegal abortions, these pills are dangerous and someone could die.
Abortions are illegal in Zimbabwe for a reason and when done by someone who is not medically qualified, they can lead to fatal consequences or long-term health complications.
</blockquote>
The Harare dealer, who sold the pills to the undercover journalist, later sent WhatsApp voice notes explaining to the female journalist how the pills are administered. He said:
<blockquote>
There are three tablets in the sachet (sealed package) and two of the tablets are ingested by eating them like sweets and you must not drink water when ingesting them.
Break the third into eight pieces and insert them into your private parts by pushing them in using the tips of your two fingers.
</blockquote>
He said that after inserting the pills, she must not use the toilet for three hours. He added:
<blockquote>
I also added three other pills that are not packaged and those are for cleaning your womb and you take them one at a time every morning for three days.
There are no side effects or complications, the tablets are very effective.
</blockquote>
Commenting on the issue, the Clinical Director of Mpilo Central Hospital, Solwayo Ngwenya, urged the public to abstain from using misoprostol saying it has harmful consequences when the patient is unsupervised. He said:
<blockquote>
The unregulated and unsupervised use of the misoprostol drug is not recommended for the general public because it introduces delinquency and criminality to our children.
Secondly, users can bleed heavily during backyard abortion attempts, resulting in collapse and death.
Thirdly, there could be infection and septicemia (blood poisoning by bacteria) that could result in post-abortal sepsis and death.
There are long-term complications that include chronic pelvic pain, subfertility (delay in conceiving), and mental health issues.
</blockquote>
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Abortion Pills Sold Like Sweets On The Streets

A 24-year-old woman from Bulawayo has been sentenced to five years imprisonment for unlawful termination of pregnancy.
The woman, Junior Ncube appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Amanda Ndlovu where she was found guilty.
The magistrate suspended one year from the sentence on the condition that Ndlovu refrain from committing the same offence within the next five years. This means that she will serve an effective four years in jail.
Allegations were that sometime in November 2023, some residents from Pumula South suburb stumbled upon a dog eating a human foetus.
They immediately reported the matter to the police.
During investigations, it was reported that residents informed the police that Ncube was pregnant.
Acting from that tip-off police questioned Ndlovu but she denied having any involvement with the foetus.
Ndlovu was sent for a scan which revealed that her stomach had recently enlarged and contracted within a week, indicating the presence of a life within it.
Under the Termination of Pregnancy Act, pregnancies can only be terminated by a registered medical practitioner authorised by a court order.
If the pregnancy endangers the life of the woman and could result in permanent impairment to her physical health, when the pregnancy is a result of unlawful intercourse, or when the foetus is severely malformed, it can be terminated.
The Act also specifies that the termination of pregnancy must be carried out by a medical practitioner in a designated institution.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Woman (24) Sentenced To Five Years In Jail For Abortion

A pregnant 17-year-old girl was saved from killing her unborn baby and taking her own life by a stranger in rural Matabeleland.
Thokozile (not her real name) had left her village in Matebeleland to work in Harare as a housekeeper.
However, her employer fired her after noticing that she was pregnant after one of her visits to her rural home.
Following her sacking, Thokozile took the first bus to Bulawayo on Monday but because of shame end fear due to her condition, she dropped off in Mbembesi which is approximately 66km from Bulawayo.
She was spotted by Alfred Ndlovu (24), as she wandered around, contemplating terminating her pregnancy and committing suicide.
Ndlovu said the teenager initially said she was going to her aunt’s place but later confessed that she wanted to take her own life. Said Ndlovu:
<blockquote>
I was just going about my business as usual when I saw her wandering around the bus stop which is about 500meters from where I stay.
I approached her and asked where she was going as she appeared lost.
She initially lied to me saying she was going to her aunt’s place. Upon further investigations, it became apparent that she was lying.
She broke down in tears and confided in me that she wanted to abort her pregnancy and end her life.
It was at that moment that I decided that I would not leave her but would take her home until her family or anyone asked about her whereabouts.
</blockquote>
Ndlovu took the teenager to his home where his wife prepared food for her and a place to stay.
He then called the girl’s brother who was only identified as Nkosi and explained the situation and promised to get her on a bus to Bulawayo as was advised. Added Ndlovu:
<blockquote>
Tuesday morning I took her to the bus and got the driver’s contact details and the details of her aunt who was to meet her in Bulawayo and made sure she arrived in her custody safely.
</blockquote>
The girl has since been reunited with her family.
<h4>More: <a href="https://www.zbcnews.co.zw/good-samaritan-saves-teen-girl-from-commiting-suicide/">ZBC News</a></h4>

"Good Samaritan" Saves Pregnant Teenager From Committing Suicide

The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has arrested a Bulawayo couple for terminating a pregnancy with the assistance of a medical doctor.
ZRP said the pair visited a private doctor, who is still at large, on September 30 and were given some pills which the woman took to terminate her pregnancy. Said the police in a Twitter post:
<blockquote>
The ZRP is investigating a case of unlawful termination of pregnancy in which a Bulawayo woman (20) conspired with her boyfriend (27) to terminate a pregnancy. The two visited a private doctor, who is still at large, and were given some pills on 30 September 2021.
After taking the pills the woman’s condition deteriorated resulting in her discharging a foetus in a plastic bucket. Police have since arrested the two suspects.
</blockquote>
The arrest of the Bulawayo couple coincides with 660 demonstrations around the United States which saw thousands of women, carrying signs with slogans like “my body, my choice, my right,” rallying in Washington on Saturday, 2 October 2021, countering a conservative drive to restrict access to abortions.
They carried signs that said: “Mind your own uterus”, “I love someone who had an abortion” and “Abortion is a personal choice, not a legal debate.”
Some wore T-shirts reading “1973″, a reference to the landmark Roe v Wade decision, which made abortion legal for generations of American women.
The 660 demonstrations in the U.S. were largely sparked by a Texas law that bans abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy. The measure, which went into effect last month, is the most restrictive in the country.
Although the legal status of abortion varies considerably by region, almost every country permits abortion under at least some circumstances.
Globally, only six countries – El Salvador, Malta, the Vatican, Chile, the Dominican Republic, and Nicaragua – ban abortion entirely.
Most industrialised countries allow the procedure without restriction. About 125 countries have some restrictions, typically permitting abortion only in limited situations, including for socioeconomic reasons, risks to the physical or mental health of the woman, or the presence of fetal anomalies.
More: <a href="https://news.pindula.co.zw">Pindula News</a>

Doctor On The Run For Assisting Couple To Abort Pregnancy

The illegal abortion industry is thriving in Zimbabwe with reports suggesting that illegal abortions rose from 60 000 in 2016 to 80 000 in 2019.
Under Zimbabwe’s 1977 Termination of Pregnancy Act, abortion is only legally permitted under certain circumstances. If conducted illegally, it carries a penalty of up to five years in jail and or a fine.
This has, however, not stopped many women, and even minors from having illegal abortions or deregistered doctors from performing the procedure.
The Termination of Pregnancy Act only permits abortion if there is a serious threat to the mother’s life, a risk of permanent impairment to her physical health or grave physical or mental defects that may lead to severe handicap in the child, or if the fetus was conceived as a result of rape, incest, or intercourse with a mentally handicapped woman.
47-year-old Jaison Hove, whose medical license was revoked a decade ago, is now allegedly involved in facilitating backdoor abortions in Mabvuku, Harare – an accusation he denies.
While many who know the former doctor say he is now richer than he was while practising medicine, he has vehemently rejected claims that he has had any part in helping local women get illegal abortions. Hove told Anadolu Agency:
<blockquote>
I stopped practising more than 10 years ago when I was accused of facilitating backdoor abortions, which wasn’t true. I don’t do illegal abortions.
</blockquote>
Backyard abortion facilities are often run by unlicensed midwives and deregistered medical practitioners and carry the risk of severe complications.
A survey carried out by a local journal known as PLOS ONE revealed that 4 out of 10 women who undergo abortions in Zimbabwe experience such complications, including haemorrhages or infection, with some even dying in the process.
51-year-old Muchineripi Gumbo, who sells illegal abortion pills or herbs believed to end unwanted pregnancies in Harare, says her herbs are “harmless” and cost “just $25”.
Apart from deregistered doctors, public hospital staff are also in on the illegal abortions trade, helping them smuggle out abortion drugs.
One illegal doctor in Harare, who declined to be named fearing reprisal, told Anadolu Agency that in a good month he gets US$5 000 from performing illegal abortions. The doctor said:
<blockquote>
Staff in public hospitals sell us abortion drugs … which when used, forces the uterus to contract, allowing it to eject any pregnancy-related tissue during or following an abortion.
Per abortion, I make roughly $150 to $200 and in a good month, I make sure I attend to about 15 to 25 abortion cases. It’s a lot of money if you make your calculations.
</blockquote>
However, this has placed many lives at risk, with the Demographic Health Survey in Zimbabwe saying 30% of maternal mortalities are due to unsafe abortions.
The maternal mortality rate in Zimbabwe currently stands at 614 deaths per 100,000 live births, one of the highest worldwide, according to the UN Population Fund (UNFPA).
<h4>More: <a href="https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/illegal-abortion-industry-thriving-in-zimbabwe/2354711#">Anadolu Agency</a></h4>

Illegal Abortion Industry Thriving In Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe records 70 000 illegal abortions per year and a third of girls get married before they reach the age of 18.
This was said by Senator Morgan Femayi, the chairperson of the HIV and Aids thematic committee in the Senate during a public meeting held at Mkoba Hall in Mkoba Village Two suburb in Gweru recently.
The HIV and Aids thematic committee and other committees wanted to get the views of members of the public on the issue of allowing children aged 12 years and above access to contraceptives. Senator Femayi said:
<blockquote>One in every three girls marries before the age of 18. We have 70 000 illegal abortions per year in the country and high school drop out. Girls below the age of 19 account for 15 per cent of the maternal mortality rate.
Therefore, the petitioner’s plea to Parliament is that there should be no restrictions in accessing health care by persons from the age of 12 or those below the age of 18 and that includes access to contraceptives and other health care matters.</blockquote>
Munyaradzi Chingwara, a counsellor, said parents or guardians should not bury their heads in the sand and pretend that children from the age of 12 were not having sex, because they are.
Chingwara said in 2016 alone, 4 500 girls failed to proceed to secondary education after falling pregnant.
He implored authorities to remove age restrictions to accessing health care services, saying reproductive health shouldn’t have restrictions so that there is universal access to health care services for all including children.
<h4>More: <a href="https://www.chronicle.co.zw/national-teenage-pregnancy-rate-worrisome/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Chronicle</a></h4>

70 000 Illegal Abortions Performed Per Year In Zimbabwe

Illegal abortionists or backyard illegal abortion clinics according to The Sunday Mail are aborting approximately 60000 pregnancies per year. The Sunday Mail spoke to women who are visiting these clinics and the women narrated horrid stories of how the abortionists are terminating their unwanted pregnancies.
According to the Sunday Mail reporter, illegal abortion is big business and people are being charged US$12 for a drug that induces miscarriage known as Chigeza Mudumbu. The abortion pills barons reportedly claimed that they were getting the pills from their doctor friends.
According to Marie Stopes International:
<blockquote>More than 60 000 women still undergo unsafe terminations each year, thereby risking death from haemorrhage, infection or shock.</blockquote>
According to the publication, Most of these abortionists who are working with some doctors at some of the country’s biggest referral hospitals are found in <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/Mbare">Mbare</a>:
<blockquote>“Street doctors” and traditional healers, who trade at the famous Mupedzanhamo Market in Mbare, are at the heart of this gory business.
They are the chief suppliers of concoctions, which they believe completely terminate pregnancies. They also work with unscrupulous doctors, bringing together a coterie of operatives and runners from the major hospitals.
Information gathered by The Sunday Mail Society shows that some doctors at Zimbabwe’s major referral hospitals are facilitating the unlawful termination of unwanted pregnancies using prescription drugs</blockquote>
More: <a href="https://www.sundaymail.co.zw/inside-harares-ghastly-abortion-clinics-60-000-illegal-terminations-a-year">The Sunday Mail </a>

Illegal Abortion Clinics Are Terminating 60 000 Pregnancies A Year

Zimbabwe’s current laws on the issue of abortion are considered too harsh on pregnant teenagers and as a result, they fuel early marriages.
This was said by the Public Prosecutor in the Attorney General’s office, Kudzai Chigwedere while speaking at the just ended National Termination of Pregnancy roundtable meeting that was hosted by Katswe Sisterhood and Right Here Right Now Zimbabwe (RHRN). She said:
<blockquote>We also have cases of child marriages, I am of the view that the act indirectly promotes child marriages in the sense that while we are saying a girl who is a victim of sexual intercourse cannot terminate a pregnancy, are we not then saying the girl should go stay with the person responsible for the pregnancy.
What happens is we manage or maybe we prosecute such cases and at times maybe we give a non-custodial sentence and the next time we try to follow-up we hear they are already staying together, why because there is this pregnancy and that connection will last for life.</blockquote>
The Termination of Pregnancy Act (ToP) of 1977 only permits abortion if the pregnancy poses a threat to the life of the unborn child or the mother or if the pregnancy is as a result of incest or rape.
The abortion can only be conducted at a designated institution, in this case, a public hospital.
The law further states that at least two medical practitioners must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the pregnancy indeed warrants a termination.
<h4>More: <a href="https://healthtimes.co.zw/2019/06/27/zim-abortion-law-drives-girls-into-early-marriages/?utm_source=rss&amp;utm_medium=rss&amp;utm_campaign=zim-abortion-law-drives-girls-into-early-marriages" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Health Times</a></h4>

"Zim's Current Abortion Laws Fueling Early Marriages"

In an interview with NewZimbabwe.com, spokesperson of the Thokozani Khupe led MDC Linda Masarira dismissed allegations that she is suffering the aftermath of a botched abortion.
Masarira showed NewZimbabwe.com a scan result slip which confirmed she had developed a cyst and a fibroid in her womb. She said she now needs foreign currency for the operation. The rumour that Masarira had a botched abortion was started by Kimberly Muzenda on Facebook. Muzenda said Masarira US$160 to terminate her said pregnancy. Masarira insists the account was fake and was created by her enemies to soil her image. She says the Facebook account was opened exactly on the day she appeared before the Kgalema Motlanthe led Commission of Inquiry into the August 1 post-election violence. Said Masarira:
<blockquote>It is not good that people spread falsehoods on a person who is sick. It is really shocking that people can create ghost accounts to spread propaganda because they do not like me or do not like my opinions. It is really sad that we have gone down to those levels as Zimbabweans. This shows how broken we are as a nation. You may hate what I do or hate my political ideology but, do not fabricate things against me especially if it has something to do with my health.</blockquote>
View the full interview below:
<div class="jetpack-video-wrapper"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" loading="lazy" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/m_rxsdHwIjs?feature=oembed" title="Linda Masarira speaks on illness and abortion claims" width="640"></iframe></div>
More: <a href="https://www.newzimbabwe.com/masarira-opens-up-on-her-ailment-slates-rivals-over-abortion-falsehoods/">NewZimbabwe.com</a>

Linda Masarira Denies Suffering From Botched Abortion, Opens Up On Illness

Speaking at an occasion where he was being conferred with an award for successfully challenging child marriages, opposition leader and lawyer Tendai Biti called on government to legalise abortion stating that hundreds of girls are dying because of illegal abortions.
Said Biti:
<blockquote>So, there are hundreds of girls that are dying because of illegal abortions. The Termination of Pregnancy Act in Zimbabwe is terrible. Those with money just go to South Africa to those clinics, it’s very cheap anyway, because it is subsidised by the State. For the rich and the middle-class, abortion is one hour away, but not for the majority of our young girls in this country and it’s endemic. The government needs to repeal the Termination of Pregnancy Act and remove other barriers to accessing safe reproductive health services for women and allow women to take responsibility of their reproductive health . . . If we have to be equal like we did in the (Loveness) Mudzuru case (the child marriages case), one of the things that we have to do is to democratise the right of access to abortion.</blockquote>
More: <a href="https://www.newsday.co.zw/2017/10/legalise-abortion-says-biti/">NewsDay</a>

Govt should legalise abortion: Biti

Former Minister of Finance and lawyer Tendai Biti has urged the government to legalise abortion. Biti said that under the current laws, thousands of grils and women were dying as a result of illegal abortions. Biti said this when he was being given an award for successfully challenging child marriages.
Said Biti:
<blockquote>So, there are hundreds of girls that are dying because of illegal abortions. The Termination of Pregnancy Act in Zimbabwe is terrible. Those with money just go to South Africa to those clinics, it’s very cheap anyway, because it is subsidised by the State. For the rich and the middle-class, abortion is one hour away, but not for the majority of our young girls in this country and it’s endemic.
The government needs to repeal the Termination of Pregnancy Act and remove other barriers to accessing safe reproductive health services for women and allow women to take responsibility of their reproductive health . . . If we have to be equal like we did in the (Loveness) Mudzuru case (the child marriages case), one of the things that we have to do is to democratise the right of access to abortion.</blockquote>
The Zimbabwe Doctors for Human Rights has also made a similar call in the past.
More: <a href="https://www.newsday.co.zw/2017/10/legalise-abortion-says-biti/">NewsDay</a>

We must legalise abortion: Tendai Biti

Speaking during an advocacy workshop on HIV and Aids in Gweru recently chairperson of the Health and Child Care portfolio committee and Matabeleland North province legislator Dr Ruth Labode said it was reasonable to allow safe abortions in unwanted pregnancies amid revelations that 16 percent of maternal deaths were due to unsafe abortions.
Said Labode:
<blockquote>We cannot continue denying these young women access to safe abortions, yet we know they will still proceed to abort, whether it is allowed or not. Complications of unsafe abortions include excessive bleeding and infections, which may all lead to hysterectomy (complete removal of the uterus) or death in worst case scenarios. So, we can continue watching our women die from things that we know.</blockquote>
However, former deputy Minister of Health and Child Care, Dr Paul Chimedza said that he would oppose the motion to legalise abortion to apply to everyone and not just victims of rape and incest. Ministry of Health and Child Care director for Family Health Dr Bernard Madzima argued that there was no difference in statistics for countries that had legalised abortion.
More: <a href="http://www.herald.co.zw/mps-clash-on-abortion-law/">Herald</a>

MPs want to legalise abortions for unwanted pregnancies

Azdani who recently separated from internationally acclaimed wheel-spinner, Abra Simmz has accused her former lover of forcing her to abort.
Speaking to HMetro, Azdani, who is currently four months pregnant, also alleged that Simmz is the one who deflowered her:
<blockquote>He took away my virginity and now wants me to kill my first baby, it’s a sin I won’t commit. My parents are really conservative and religious, we are Muslims, so for us sex is not so easy or available but I broke all rules for this man and look what he has done to me and my life?</blockquote>
Asked by the publication to comment on the allegations, Abra Simmz said his girlfriend had been misled.
More: <a href="http://hmetro.co.zw/abra-simmz-forces-girlfriend-to-abort/">HMetro</a>

Ex girlfriend accuses Abra Simmz of forcing her to abort

A teenage housemaid, Loctina Harumbwi, based in Hatfield, Harare, was brought to court on Saturday on an infanticide charge after she allegedly drowned her newly-born baby in a bucket of water. She was remanded in custody to today for the bail application, after she appeared before Harare magistrate Bianca Makwande.
The State alleges that on October 26, Harumbwi spent the whole day complaining of having a running tummy, but refused to be taken to hospital. Her employer, Hazel Mangwende, returned home around 5pm and allegedly found her asleep and looking dizzy.
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Harumbwi allegedly later secretly gave birth to a baby boy at around midnight and drowned the infant in a 20-litre bucket full of water. Mangwende allegedly woke up at around 1am after hearing some noise coming from Harumbwi’s room, but the latter said all was well.
The State alleges Mangwende heard Harumbwi opening the door and later closed it. Mangwende became suspicious and forced her way into the suspect’s room and found her in a pool of blood, while holding a blood-stained towel, but the maid insisted nothing was amiss.
Mangwende then drove her to Hatfield Police Station, where Harumbwi confessed that she had killed her newly-born baby.
More: <a href="https://www.newsday.co.zw/2016/10/31/maid-court-infanticide-charge/">NewsDay</a>

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