A 26-year-old registered general nurse, Devine Dlodlo, from Entumbane, Bulawayo, has been arrested for assisting a Form Four student in terminating her pregnancy.
Abortion is illegal in Zimbabwe, except in cases where the life of the mother is at risk, there is a risk of serious fetal impairment, or in instances of rape or incest, as per the Termination of Pregnancy Act of 1977.
The spokesperson of the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) in Bulawayo Province, Inspector Abednico Ncube, confirmed the incident to CITE reporter Senzeni Ncube, which occurred on 06 July 024 at around 10:30 AM.
He said residents attending a funeral at Entumbane heard screams coming from the teen’s residence and went to check on what was happening. Said Insp. Ncube:
Upon arrival, they saw the two accused persons in the house and the girl had blood stains on her thighs and lower limbs.
There was blood all over the house floor. They also discovered that she had given birth to a foetus, which was placed on the toilet floor.
Insp. Ncube said a police report was made the following day at around 10:30 AM. He said:
Upon interview, she confirmed that she was six months pregnant. She stated that she approached Dlodlo as a nurse to assist her with any drug to terminate her pregnancy. She was then given some unknown tablets to induce and terminate the pregnancy.
She then led the police to a bushy area near the shops at Entumbane, where she had dumped the foetus. It was recovered and taken to UBH mortuary awaiting a post-mortem. This led to the arrest of both accused persons.
Insp. Ncube warned members of the public against terminating pregnancies as it is dangerous and they risk losing their lives.
The crime of unlawful termination carries a maximum prison sentence of five years.
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