Innocent Sibonginkosi Ncube | Zim GBC News
HARARE – A controversial clause seeking to liberalise Zimbabwe’s abortion laws has been effectively rejected by the Senate after the government admitted it had been “smuggled” into the Medical Services Amendment Bill without its knowledge.
Many sector of Zimbabwe’s Civic Society including the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops’ Conference (ZCBC), had firmly opposed the proposed changes.
The clause, which would have introduced significant reforms to the country’s termination of pregnancy laws, failed to pass the Second Reading stage on Thursday after the Ministry of Health and Child Care disowned it, leaving Senators withdrawing their support.
During the Second Reading proceedings, Deputy Minister of Health and Child Care Sleiman Kwidini notably omitted Clause 11 from his presentation—an omission that raised red flags among Senators who had been anticipating a heated debate on the sensitive topic.
Clause 11 proposed sweeping reforms, including allowing abortions on request up to 20 weeks for both adults and minors without parental consent, removing spousal notification requirements, and permitting a single medical practitioner to authorise the procedure.
Addressing the Senate, Deputy Minister Kwidini made it clear that the Ministry had been blindsided by the provision.
“The clause was smuggled in; it was not there originally,” Kwidini told the House.
“What I want to assure this House is that Clause 11 came as a surprise to the Ministry. When the Bill was introduced in the Lower House at First Reading, there was no Clause 11—it ended at Clause 10.”
He further revealed that even the Minister of Health was caught off guard when the clause became public.
“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,” Kwidini explained.
The Deputy Minister proposed that any future debate on abortion law reform should be introduced through a separate, dedicated Bill rather than being attached to legislation without proper consultation.
“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,” he said.
ZCBC: A Victory for the Sanctity of Life
The Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops’ Conference, had been at the forefront of opposing the proposed changes, describing it as a fundamental threat to the sanctity of human lifes.
The Bishops had previously issued a strong and detailed response to the proposed amendments, firmly opposing them and calling on lawmakers to reject them. In a pastoral statement titled “An Appeal to Conscience: Defending Innocent Lives,” the ZCBC framed the proposed legislation as a fundamental threat to the sanctity of human life.
They urged Senators to uphold their “constitutional responsibility to protect the right to life of unborn children to the maximum degree possible” and argued that the Bill sought to permit “the deliberate termination of unborn life by allowing abortion on demand.”
The bishops specifically criticized the provisions of Clause 11, describing them as “a grave trivialisation of an act that entails the deliberate ending of a human life solely because that life is incapable of defending itself.”
They also warned that the Bill would undermine progress made in affirming human life, particularly noting the irony of celebrating the repeal of the death penalty while considering legislation that they said “would sanction the massacre of the innocent.”
The ZCBC further argued that the proposed changes undermined the dignity of the family by “weakening parental responsibility and spousal mutual support, eroding the sanctity of marriage.”
They emphasized that the Bill “strikes at the heart of our African and Christian moral heritage” and called on all Christians and people of good will to take a firm stand against it.
While opposing the Bill, the bishops expressed openness to working with legislators to develop supportive laws that offer “morally acceptable alternatives to abortion, including robust prenatal care, counselling, and sustained support for vulnerable women and children.”
The Bishops also called upon all Christians to commit themselves to prayer for the protection of human life. Archbishop Robert Christopher Ndlovu had even pledged that the Church would approach President Emmerson Mnangagwa to dissuade him from signing the Bill should it have passed the Senate—a move that is now unnecessary following the clause’s demise.
An anti-arbortion activist, speaking on a program on national radio described those who wanted young women and even married women to be allowed to arbort as devil’s advocates. He advised women to refrain from sex if they did not want to fall pregnant.
“If you know that you will fall pregnant, why have sex? No sex no pregnancy, no arbortion!” He declared.
Zim GBC News withholds his identify.
Following the Ministry’s admission, most Senators indicated they were not prepared to support the provision, effectively killing the clause for now.
The Medical Services Amendment Bill will now proceed without the contentious amendment.
FOLLOW US FOR REAL-TIME UPDATES:
· X (Twitter): @ZimGbc
· Instagram: @ZimGBCNews
· TikTok: @ZimGBCNews_01
· Facebook: Zim GBC News
· YouTube: Zim GBC News
Get real-time alerts on WhatsApp:
+263 773 820 323
For in-depth coverage, visit our website: www.zimgbcnews.co.zw
Zim GBC News | Global News From An African Perspective©️2026