Amid the public’s grief over four infants who were tragically killed by their mothers in two weeks, the City of Manzini is grappling with a different crisis. According to a source within Manzini Bus Rank, there is growing concern about a sudden rise in street abortions. The source alleges that about seven cases were recorded within two months, but the police said only two were reported to them.
The source indicated that the latest case of street abortion was recorded on Thursday afternoon, and this paints a grim picture of the struggles faced by many women in the country. He noted that in other cases, foetuses were found in skip bins around the bus rank, and another was found at the Manzini Dumpsite. It is believed that it was dumped in one of the skip bins in Manzini and later unknowingly taken by the Municipal Council of Manzini’s garbage truck when collecting rubbish to transport to the dumpsite. The source suggested that these struggles may be as a result of economic hardship and lack of support.
While narrating the incident that occurred on Thursday, the source mentioned that a woman, who was seven months pregnant, travelled all the way from Lavumisa and allegedly bought abortion pills at Manzini Bus Rank. After that, he said the woman went to a public toilet at the boundary of the bus rank, where she had an abortion.
However, he explained that when she exited the toilet, some staff members noticed that she had been inside for a bit longer than usual, raising suspicions. As a result, they started to scrutinise the situation and noticed some blood stains on the floor.
Upon seeing the blood stains, they called the city rangers…who responded promptly and… followed the blood trail, which led to a foetus that was wrapped in a plastic bag…The rangers apprehended the woman… and handed her over to police, who arrested her. The source mentioned that the assumption was that the foetuses were dumped by sex workers operating in Manzini, prompting stakeholders to plan campaigns in the townships around the city to raise awareness about the dangers of unsafe abortion, family planning programmes and how to avoid unwanted pregnancies.
However, he noted that after the latest incident, the narrative changed, as they learnt that people were coming from as far as Lavumisa to buy abortion pills in the city. That raised the question of where they get the pills, as the pills are supposed to be dispensed only with a prescription. He explained that the answer lies in the ongoing health crisis and suspicions that some drugs are illegally removed from the system. He also stated that another issue requiring attention is the proliferation of pharmacies in the country, particularly in townships. The “source” of all this information was not identified.
The next day, it was reported that the rise in street abortions has drawn attention once more to the ongoing debate about legalising abortion in the kingdom. The recent case in Manzini showed the lengths to which some women have gone under unsafe and unsanitary conditions. While the legality of abortion remains contested, the situation is indicative of deeper social challenges. Some argue that personal accountability is also required before a pregnancy occurs. Meanwhile many women are exposed to danger while attempting to resolve unintended pregnancies.
SOURCE: Times of Eswatini: Press Reader, by Sibusiso Zwane, 21 July 2025 ; Press Reader, 22 July 2025.