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Mother, daughter sentenced for abortion

by Melody Baya
14 Apr 2016 at 06:28hrs | Views
A BULAWAYO mother and her 18-year-old daughter are each set to perform 315 hours of community service after they teamed up to terminate the teenager's six months pregnancy.

Nompilo Bhebhe, 36, and her daughter Simphiwe Bhebhe, 18, were jointly charged with unlawful termination of pregnancy.

The court heard that Bhebhe gave her daughter a pill to abort the pregnancy and they then dumped the foetus in a sewer pond.

Western Commonage magistrate Themba Chimiso convicted the two women on their own plea of guilty.

"For your crime you will each perform 315 hours community service at Nkulumane police station," said Chimiso.

The court heard that the pair was apprehended after an anonymous caller alerted the police of the crime.

Simphiwe told the magistrate that she resorted to abortion because she did not have the means to take care of the child.

"I admit to the charges being levelled against me. I terminated the pregnancy because I wasn't going to be able to keep the child since my boyfriend denied responsibility," she said.

Prosecuting, Kenneth Shava told the court that the abortion was carried out on March 28 at around 9PM.

"Simphiwe took a pill given to her by her mother and the foetus was expelled from the womb. With the help of the mother she took the foetus and wrapped it in a newspaper and put it in a plastic bag. They disposed of the foetus in sewer pond," said Shava.

The prosecutor said Simphiwe was examined by a doctor who confirmed the abortion.

Source - chronicle