“I found out I was pregnant at sixteen. I was scared and ashamed. I went to someone in the community who said she could help. I didn’t know it was dangerous,” recalls Tarisai Mpofu (not her real name), now 23.
Her story, though harrowing, is a common one in Epworth on the outskirts of Harare, where the "shadow economy" of illegal abortions thrives in the face of legal gaps and deep-seated stigma.
After two attempts with pills, Tarisai’s third attempt involving a traditional root nearly killed her.
“I started coughing blood and lost consciousness. I thought I was going to die,” she said, adding that a doctor later told her that even a slight delay in reaching the hospital would have been fatal.
Mpofu’s desperation highlights a massive burden on Zimbabwe’s maternal health system.
While the 2023–24 Zimbabwe Demographic and Health Survey estimated the maternal mortality ratio at 212 deaths per 100 000 live births—a significant improvement—the rate remains unacceptably high.
In communities like Epworth, these statistics take on a grisly reality. Recently, the town was gripped by reports of a foetus unearthed from a shallow grave and dragged by a dog, an "ugly, whispered spectacle" that forced residents to confront the consequences of what is usually discussed only behind closed doors.
In the absence of clear, accessible, or non-stigmatised legal services, a black market of backyard clinics and unregulated providers has filled the void.
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Methods range from misused medication to invasive home procedures and the use of dangerous plant materials, all of which doctors warn increase the risk of hemorrhage, sepsis, and long-term harm.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) notes that restrictive laws do not actually reduce the number of abortions; they simply make them more dangerous.
In Zimbabwe, it is estimated that 65 000 to 80 000 induced abortions occur annually, contributing to approximately 16% of maternal deaths.
On the front lines, the strain is visible.
“We patch them up, we send them home, and then they come back again,” said Sister Muzvidziwa, a senior nurse at Epworth Clinic, describing the "heartbreaking" cycle of preventable deaths and disabilities.
Zimbabwe’s current Termination of Pregnancy Act remains highly restrictive, theoretically allowing for termination only when the mother’s life is at risk.
However, Lorraine Mumba of the Community Working Group on Health (CWGH) explained that the administrative hurdles—including police reports and magisterial certificates—effectively shut the door for many. For rural women, the requirement for certification by two doctors is often an impossibility.
While there have been some court victories regarding minors and survivors of rape, Clause 11 of the Medical Services Amendment Bill, which sought to treat termination as a medical rather than criminal procedure, was recently removed in the Senate.
The debate is further complicated by the influence of the church.
While reverend Tendai Moyo preaches the sanctity of life, he also acknowledges the need for compassion: “We also must support women with counseling... so that the pressure to choose abortion is not born of desperation.”
Sister Patricia, who runs the NGO Echoes of Hope, is more blunt about the economic drivers: “A woman choosing abortion is often choosing between hunger and hope. We can’t keep talking only about sin and law. We need to provide options”.
For many in Epworth, the issue is less about ideology and more about harm reduction. Poverty remains a primary driver; as local vendor Mercy Sibanda puts it, “When you can’t feed the children you have, you cannot bring another into the world.”
Advocates are now calling for a multi-pronged approach: better sexual education, consistent access to contraception (to combat frequent clinic stock-outs), and training for healthcare workers in safe post-abortion care.
The Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights (ZADHR) emphasised that criminalisation merely shifts abortion from regulated medical settings to unsafe environments.
As the community of Epworth continues to grapple with these "quiet decisions made when no one is looking," the call for reform grows louder. As Sibanda concluded: “We may never all agree on the morality of abortion, but we can agree that women should not risk their lives. That is something we can fight for together.”
*Fadzai Ndangana is an investigative journalist at the Orbit International Youth Organisation.
