Pioneering surrogacy case tests local judiciary

Surrogacy-Gofhamodimo Sithole and Lekoko Baatweng with their lawyers at Court of Appeal.PIC: KAGISO ONKATSWITSE
Surrogacy-Gofhamodimo Sithole and Lekoko Baatweng with their lawyers at Court of Appeal.PIC: KAGISO ONKATSWITSE

Surrogacy, or the practice of a woman carrying a baby on behalf of a couple, is an internationally established even though it remains controversial in some cultures. The debate is now on local shores for the first time as a divorced couple fights over the fate of a frozen embryo at the Court of Appeal. Staff Writer, MPHO MOKWAPE reports

With many couples struggling to conceive, the evolution of medical science has come as a Godsend, providing many options and opportunities over and above adoption.

Surrogacy is the on the rise worldwide and recently the debate over the practice has engrossed public debate, via a case currently going through the judiciary. Surrogacy is an arrangement or agreement where a woman carries a pregnancy on behalf of a separate couple who are unable to have children on their own. The practice involves fertilising an egg outside the body or in vitro fertilisation, with the resultant embryo transferred to a surrogate being the woman who will carry the pregnancy.

Editor's Comment
Rising abortion figures demand urgent action

Instead, they should serve as a warning to health authorities, community leaders, and policymakers that something is not right. According to the Palapye District Development Committee’s latest report, 130 abortion cases were recorded between April and June 2026.On the face of it, the overall figure may represent a decline from the preceding quarter. However, going deeper into the figures, the monthly trend tells a different and more worrying...

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