Abortion Should Be Legalised - Councillor Mabengano

NNASARETHA KGAMANYANE
Correspondent | Monday July 9, 2012 00:00

 

Mabengano said this during a full council meeting held at Council Chamber on Friday. He was responding to Cally Ramalefo of Botswana Family Wellness Association (BOFWA) who informed councillors that incidences of unsafe abortion are high in the country and  many young women's lives are lost. Ramalefo said that government spends a lot of money treating people who have performed unsafe abortions, whilst some die after undergoing unsafe abortions which is illegal in the country.

When commenting, Mabengano said government should not neglect the fact that people still abort their unborn children in spite of it being against the law: ' I feel its high time abortion is allowed in the country. We know that no matter what the law says, people are doing it,' Mbengano noted.

Ramalefo told the council that they do not support abortion and that it is allowed only under certain circumstances: if the mother fell pregnant after being raped, when the pregnancy had complications that posed a threat to both the mother and child and when the child is deformed. She also said that HIV positive people who can afford to pay for their medical treatment, should do so in an effort to help the government. She did emphasise that those who cannot afford to pay for treatment will be given  their  medication as usual.

Ramalefo pleaded with the councillors to help them develop BOFWA. She said the organisation needs money to develop their plot in Phase 4 where they do not have building structures.  She also called on the councillors to buy their membership, as this will help them sell their services to different stakeholders like the community and different employees.

She encouraged councillors to educate their communities on Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRH&R) programmes, which fall under the Maputo Plan of Action 2007 to 2015.  The Maputo Plan talks about caring for people and their SRH from birth until death. Furthermore, she said that the Maputo plan also includes family planning, HIV and AIDS and talking to children about sexual matters.