Senate rejects 'smuggled' abortion clause

A controversial clause in the Medical Services Amendment Bill that sought to liberalise abortion has failed to pass the Second Reading in the Senate after the government admitted it had been "smuggled" into the draft legislation.

The Ministry of Health and Child Care distanced itself from the clause, stating that it had been inserted without the Ministry's knowledge. During the Senate debate, Deputy Minister Sleiman Kwidini deliberately omitted Clause 11 from his presentation, a move that drew attention from senators who had expected heated discussions on the matter.

"The clause was smuggled in; it was not there originally," Kwidini told the Senate.

Clause 11 had proposed allowing abortions on request up to 20 weeks for adults and minors without parental consent, removing spousal notification requirements, and permitting a single medical practitioner to authorise the procedure. Most senators indicated they were not prepared to support the provision.

Kwidini emphasised that the Ministry was caught by surprise. "When the Bill was introduced in the Lower House at First Reading, there was no Clause 11 — it ended at Clause 10. As the Ministry, we are saying Clause 11 cannot be part of this Bill. If the Senate agrees, it can be brought under a separate Bill for amendment. When the Ministry presented this Bill in the Lower House, that clause was not there. The Minister was shocked to receive calls saying Clause 11 was addressing abortion."

The Senate's rejection underscores the sensitivity of the abortion debate in Zimbabwe and signals that any future proposals on the matter will face intense scrutiny.