Bulawayo Mayor David Coltart has raised concerns over the Medical Services Amendment Bill, warning that proposed changes to abortion regulations could have far-reaching consequences for families, teenage girls and the country’s moral values.
The amendments, passed by parliament last week as part of changes to the Medical Services Bill, include wide-ranging revisions to existing abortion laws.
The bill passed the National Assembly on October 23 and is now before the Senate.
Speaking on Tuesday at a children’s charity event in Bulawayo, Coltart urged senators to reject the bill when it comes before the upper house and to allow further public consultation.
“As a father, a grandfather and a citizen, I am deeply concerned about these changes and the threat that they pose,” he said. “Not just to the unborn child, but to teenage girls and the fabric of our families.”
Coltart criticised the legislative process, saying the amendments had been introduced without adequate public engagement.
“This bill has been sneaked into our legislation without consultation,” he said. “There has been no meaningful public input, and I have no doubt that if there were consultations, many of these provisions would be changed.”
He said any changes to such sensitive laws should reflect what he described as the country’s national values and the views of the majority.
The mayor said national priorities should focus on protecting and supporting children, particularly those born into difficult circumstances, rather than policies that could place them at further risk.
“As a nation, instead of focusing on terminating the lives of children, we should be asking what we need to do to ensure that children born into hardship are protected and nurtured,” he said, calling for increased funding for orphanages and child welfare institutions.
Coltart also linked child welfare concerns to education funding, warning that cuts to support programmes were leaving vulnerable children at risk of dropping out of school.
He criticised the allocation of about US$9 million to the Basic Education Assistance Module (BEAM) in the latest national budget, describing it as inadequate.
“If anything should be a priority, it should be the education of our children, especially those whose parents cannot afford school fees,” he said, urging the government to clear outstanding BEAM arrears and ensure no children are excluded from school in 2026.
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