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Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, Gwanda Correspondent
GWANDA residents have rejected a petition by the Advocacy Core Team (ACT)- Compass Project which seeks to promote access to sexual reproductive health services for adolescents and young people in Zimbabwe.
The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Health and Child Care and the Thematic Committee on HIV and Aids is conducting public hearings across the country on the petition.
The petition, among other issues, is advocating for children aged 12 years and above to be allowed access to reproductive health services.
In Gweru on Monday, residents rallied against the petition while civil society organisations have been mobilising residents in Bulawayo to turn up at hearings and register displeasure about the petition.
Speaking during public hearings that were held at the Gwanda Hotel on Wednesday residents said accepting the petition would put youngsters at risk and expose them to sexual abuse.
Pastor Lovemore Dube said: “Youngsters should be taught total abstinence and not be encouraged to engage in sexual activities. What this petition is suggesting is not in line with our ethics and culture as a nation.
“We would have lost ubuntu/hunhu if we say a child as young as 12 years should be given contraceptives. In some way we will be encouraging them to engage in sexual activities at such a tender age,” he said.
Ms Alice Masawi said the petition sought to replace traditions of the country with foreign practices.
She said a child had to be under the supervision of a guardian until they reached the age of 18 which meant that until they attained that age a child only should be allowed to access health services if in the company of a guardian.
“If we accept what this petition is saying then we will be encouraging our children to be wayward. As a parent I wouldn’t allow my child as young as 12 years old to be inserted a loop or jadel or to be given condoms.
“This will only cause problems for us as parents in our homes and we will fail to control these children,” she said.
A Gwanda-based lawyer Ms Mitchel Chigova said according to the Constitution a person below the age of 16 is not capable of making decisions on their own.
She said as a result a child still needed the input of parents in making decisions related to health services.
She said giving 12 year olds access to reproductive health services would expose them to sexual abuse as perpetrators could take advantage of them.
Mr Lovemore Mafu, supporting the petition, said it could not be ignored that there were some youngsters that started being sexually active at a tender age.
He said the matter had to be dealt with separately and not holistically where all youngsters were going to be treated under the same umbrella.
He said there was need for measures to be put in place to address these special cases.
Ms Nomsa Moyo said the petition had to be considered as reproductive health was an essential service.
“The moment we deny children these services then we are depriving them of an essential service. Let’s give children a chance to go to hospital on their own.
“Some of these children are from child headed families and they are forced to engage in sexual activities at a tender age in order to fend for their siblings.
“If we ignore the petition then we are disadvantaging such children. The petition says children should access health services even without parents which is important,” she said.
Chairing the meeting Senator Chief Ngungumbane said different teams from the parliamentary committee were conducting consultation meetings in various provinces to capture views of the people and once the process was complete a report will be compiled which will be presented to the Senate and National Assembly.
The petition calls on the Parliament of Zimbabwe to consider and pass relevant legislation that ensures all adolescents and young people under 18 can consent to accessing reproductive health services by ensuring that the Public Health Act of 2018 is amended to ensure that there be no restrictions on accessing reproductive health care services by persons aged 12 years and above, this includes HIV testing, pre and post counselling, access to contraceptives and other pregnancy prevention and management tools for adolescents and young people and to ensure that there are proper administrative measures to monitor and provide reproductive health rights for persons under 12 years.
The petition also called for the Justice Bill to provide access to reproductive health services for adolescents and young people aged 12 years and above. — @DubeMatutu
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