Hwange Central MP Daniel Molokele (CCC) has called for the repeal of the 1977 Termination of Pregnancy Act, describing it as one of the most backward laws in Zimbabwe. Molokele made the comments at a press conference in Harare on Tuesday, which marked the start of the 2025 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign.
Hwange Central MP
Daniel Molokele
The call comes after a recent High Court ruling that recognised mental health as a valid reason for a legal abortion. The ruling followed a challenge by the Community Working Group on Health (CWGH), a health rights group, which argued that the abortion law unfairly excluded people with mental health issues, denying them access to legal termination in cases of abuse.
The ruling now awaits confirmation by the Constitutional Court. Once confirmed, parliament will need to amend the Termination of Pregnancy Act to include mental health risks as a ground for abortion.
Molokele called on the Ministry of Justice and the Parliamentary Legal Committee to go further than just amending the law and to fully repeal it. He said:
“I urge the Ministry of Justice, Parliamentary Legal Affairs, not just to amend the law but to repeal the entire law… Safe abortion should be accessible to more women in this country; it must not be a preserve for a few people because under the current termination pregnancy act, only rich Zimbabweans who are politically connected can access safe abortions. The rest of us have to face the horrendous statistics that we are having, at least 60,000 deaths annually related to unsafe abortion.”
SOURCE: It’s time to scrap Zimbabwe’s outdated abortion law – Molokele. by Lovemore, 26 November 2025. Pindula, 26 November 2025.