Abortion reform bill collapses in Zimbabwe over controversial clause inserted without approval
A proposed reform to liberalise abortion laws in Zimbabwe has collapsed after the government admitted that a controversial clause was inserted into a draft health bill without the Ministry of Health’s approval.
The provision, known as Clause 11 in the Medical Services Amendment Bill, failed to pass its Second Reading in the Senate after lawmakers raised concerns about how it was included in the legislation.
Deputy Minister of Health and Child Care Sleiman Kwidini told senators the clause had been “smuggled” into the bill. “The clause was smuggled in; it was not there originally,” Kwidini said during the debate.
The proposed amendment would have allowed abortions on request up to 20 weeks for adults and minors without parental consent, removed spousal notification requirements, and permitted a single medical practitioner to authorise the procedure.
Kwidini distanced the ministry from the provision, saying it was not part of the original draft presented in the Lower House. “When the Bill was introduced in the Lower House at First Reading, there was no Clause 11, it ended at Clause 10,” he said. “As the Ministry, we are saying Clause 11 cannot be part of this Bill.”
Most senators indicated they were unwilling to support the clause in its current form. The government suggested that if abortion law reforms are to be considered, they should be introduced under a separate bill.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
