A 24-year-old woman from Bulawayo has been sentenced to five years imprisonment for unlawful termination of pregnancy.
The woman, Junior Ncube appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Amanda Ndlovu where she was found guilty.
The magistrate suspended one year from the sentence on the condition that Ndlovu refrain from committing the same offence within the next five years. This means that she will serve an effective four years in jail.
Allegations were that sometime in November 2023, some residents from Pumula South suburb stumbled upon a dog eating a human foetus.
They immediately reported the matter to the police.
During investigations, it was reported that residents informed the police that Ncube was pregnant.
Acting from that tip-off police questioned Ndlovu but she denied having any involvement with the foetus.
Ndlovu was sent for a scan which revealed that her stomach had recently enlarged and contracted within a week, indicating the presence of a life within it.
Under the Termination of Pregnancy Act, pregnancies can only be terminated by a registered medical practitioner authorised by a court order.
If the pregnancy endangers the life of the woman and could result in permanent impairment to her physical health, when the pregnancy is a result of unlawful intercourse, or when the foetus is severely malformed, it can be terminated.
The Act also specifies that the termination of pregnancy must be carried out by a medical practitioner in a designated institution.
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