Kavango equates abortion to murder
Pro-lifers reject ‘state-sanctioned killing of babies’
At a public hearing, a pastor asked pro-choice advocates why they wore masks in fear of contracting Covid-19 while wanting babies to be killed.
Preserving culture and sinning before God were the lead arguments against legalising abortion when residents of Rundu in the Kavango East discussed the matter during consultations this week.
The two Kavango regions have dominated national teenage pregnancy charts, with learners often dropping out of school. Illegal abortions and baby dumping incidents are also common occurrences in the two regions.
But during public hearings on Tuesday, residents did not beat around the bush in their condemnation of legalising abortion, calling it the ‘gruesome killing of an unborn child’.
The parliamentary standing committee on gender equality, social development and family affairs, led by Hilaria Mukapuli, is currently in Kavango East conducting public hearings on the legalisation or non-legalisation of abortion.
Public hearings were launched last October following a petition by pro-choice activists that has garnered 63 000 signatures in support to date.
The majority of those who attended the morning session of the hearing, many of them religious leaders, were pro-life and strongly condemned the reform of the Abortion and Sterilisation Act no. 2 of 1975.
No different from murder
Pastors from various churches argued that abortion is no different from murder.
They further said it is not cultural and biblical for a woman to abort, saying that life does not start at birth but at conception and the law prohibiting abortion should remain intact.
A pastor who introduced himself as Ndumba asked why an unborn child must be aborted while those calling on the legalisation of abortion wear masks in fear of contracting Covid-19.
“I am a pastor and a police officer serving people. What if my mother had decided to kill me while I was in her womb? Who could have been the pastor and a police officer that I am today?” Ndumba argued.
Some said abortion injures women and girls internally, hence it should not be legalised. Others said government should strengthen the school pregnancy policy, saying that it does not have an impact to discourage learners from falling pregnant.
The Kavango regions are among the top three regions in terms of high rates of teenage pregnancy, with pro-choice activists citing these statistics as a reason to legalise abortion.
However, some of the participants at the public meeting argued that effective parenting should be strengthened and urged parents to teach their children about the consequences of sex.
Sex is for married couples only
Founder of the Namibia Marriage Council Paulus Hawanga, who also condemned the legalisation of abortion, said sex should only be enjoyed by married couples.
Studies show that as of 2019, sub-Saharan Africa has the highest rate of abortion-related deaths in the world.
Research has shown abortion rates do not decline in countries where it is banned or restricted, compared to where it is legal. However, restrictive laws force women to obtain illegal abortions that pose a severe threat to their health and lives and can land them in prison.
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The two Kavango regions have dominated national teenage pregnancy charts, with learners often dropping out of school. Illegal abortions and baby dumping incidents are also common occurrences in the two regions.
But during public hearings on Tuesday, residents did not beat around the bush in their condemnation of legalising abortion, calling it the ‘gruesome killing of an unborn child’.
The parliamentary standing committee on gender equality, social development and family affairs, led by Hilaria Mukapuli, is currently in Kavango East conducting public hearings on the legalisation or non-legalisation of abortion.
Public hearings were launched last October following a petition by pro-choice activists that has garnered 63 000 signatures in support to date.
The majority of those who attended the morning session of the hearing, many of them religious leaders, were pro-life and strongly condemned the reform of the Abortion and Sterilisation Act no. 2 of 1975.
No different from murder
Pastors from various churches argued that abortion is no different from murder.
They further said it is not cultural and biblical for a woman to abort, saying that life does not start at birth but at conception and the law prohibiting abortion should remain intact.
A pastor who introduced himself as Ndumba asked why an unborn child must be aborted while those calling on the legalisation of abortion wear masks in fear of contracting Covid-19.
“I am a pastor and a police officer serving people. What if my mother had decided to kill me while I was in her womb? Who could have been the pastor and a police officer that I am today?” Ndumba argued.
Some said abortion injures women and girls internally, hence it should not be legalised. Others said government should strengthen the school pregnancy policy, saying that it does not have an impact to discourage learners from falling pregnant.
The Kavango regions are among the top three regions in terms of high rates of teenage pregnancy, with pro-choice activists citing these statistics as a reason to legalise abortion.
However, some of the participants at the public meeting argued that effective parenting should be strengthened and urged parents to teach their children about the consequences of sex.
Sex is for married couples only
Founder of the Namibia Marriage Council Paulus Hawanga, who also condemned the legalisation of abortion, said sex should only be enjoyed by married couples.
Studies show that as of 2019, sub-Saharan Africa has the highest rate of abortion-related deaths in the world.
Research has shown abortion rates do not decline in countries where it is banned or restricted, compared to where it is legal. However, restrictive laws force women to obtain illegal abortions that pose a severe threat to their health and lives and can land them in prison.
[email protected]
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