IN yesterday’s edition we carried the story of a cadet police officer who is facing prosecution for allegedly aborting using some herbs called “Jerusalem” while on training. Our sister paper H- Metro led with the story of a tertiary institution student who is said to have poured boiling water over her newborn baby.
Evidence on the ground suggests that such incidents are widespread and not limited to young unmarried women only. Many women and girls are resorting to drastic measures to deal with unplanned pregnancies. Statistics at the courts where thousands of women are seeking child support show that many men of all ages are also not willing to take responsibility for their actions.
The issue of the right to life for an unborn human baby is an emotional one. On one hand there are moralists vehemently stating that the foetus has a right to life at whatever stage of conception it may be and no human being should presume a right to terminate that life. The Zimbabwean law is unequivocal in its stance that abortion is illegal except in certain circumstances such as when a woman has been raped. But even then, the process is complicated and takes time.
On the other hand there is a “no questions asked” policy being practised by health service providers who no longer investigate the cause of any abortion presented to them. They simply treat the woman without trying to establish if the termination was accidental or induced.
Which means that while we vehemently claim to be against abortion on ethical and religious grounds, in reality we are content to look aside while backyard abortions and infanticide become the order of the day. Those who can afford it are reportedly travelling to South Africa for safe abortions as it is legal in that country. So as usual, it is the poor who suffer most.
It is time for a reality check.
This is not just about the women and girls involved. It is also a reflection of their male partners. And the whole lot is a reflection of us as society. We are all culpable so we cannot pretend to be above it all. A rigidly hypocritical moral attitude does not serve the interest of any section of the society, especially in view of the implications of all this unprotected sex in the fight against HIV.
What is obviously called for is open dialogue on the way forward. We need to find a way of instilling a culture of planned parenthood in all our citizens of all ages. But that takes open minds and practical solutions not just blind hell-fire and brimstone preaching about morals.
This is not a call for instant legalising of abortion, but a suggestion that we tackle the problem instead of pretending that it does not exist, or that it is not the problem of every man, woman and child in the country.