The complete abolition of human abortion in South Africa

All life is to be recognized as life from conception, worthy of protection under the law and with recognised value as well. Nobody has the right to intentionally harm or kill any human being from conception onwards. Therefore, human value would be the human right to life as applied to all living human beings. 

This applies to cases of rape and incest. Cases of medical requirements are to then specify that physical health is objectively affected where the mother's life is clearly at risk. Even then, actual healthcare in terms of care for both mother and child must be improved to note these situations and attend to them. There is nothing humane about killing an innocent human child even if he or she has physical ailments. This includes down's syndrome, epilepsy etc.

The rape argument: All rape victims are victims of an abhorrent act, where they are treated less than a human being with human rights. It is in the best interests of all women (men can be victims of rape but women of course are the only ones capable of falling pregnant) who are victims of rape to head straight to their nearest hospital or clinic either with an ambulance, or someone who is the first witness as being the first person told of the rape. This is something that needs to happen the same day as the rape occurs. This is important to help mitigate injuries, help the woman recover both physically and mentally as soon as possible, and to gather evidence to find the rapist who committed this cowardly and selfish act. Treatment occurs by admitting the woman to trauma ward, where depending on the severity of the assault, her wounds are treated and she is stabilized if she is close to death. During this, a rape kit is performed. This is important for helping to provide ARVs to combat any HIV infection, gather semen samples of the rapist and to administer what is known as the morning after pill to prevent conception from happening. Preventing conception is not murder, it is done with the understanding that no new life has been conceived. 

The morning after pill, as effective as it is, is not 100% effective and only has a primary function of releasing hormones so that an ovum(egg) is not released by the woman's ovaries. This is important to understand as if the ovum has already been released, the morning after pill does not stop it from being fertilised and being implanted in the mother's uterus. So what do we do when this happens? What is the response? The mother will only be able to know if she is in fact pregnant upon implantation and once a pregnancy test or blood test is performed should she start showing pregnancy symptoms. By this stage, the child growing in her uterus is already 4 weeks at least, because the first symptom is a late period therefore a month would have lapsed. Do we recognise that the child growing in her belly is a human life? Absolutely. Do we devalue that child's life because of the nature of his or her conception? Absolutely not. Do we show compassion and support to the mother upon realising she is pregnant? Absolutely. This involves setting a standard that would be objectively agreeable for victims of rape who have not consented to having unprotected sex, that this standard is one where her needs are provided for as the child's needs are provided for. This is the call for the Church, all churches to stand up as the ones called to protect the innocent and the fatherless. This would be mandated under the law, and a mother may choose to take on this benefit or not. This benefit does only apply as long as proof can be given of the rape, thereafter to avoid unsubstantiated claims of rape against men that are innocent, if no proof of rape can be seen and the mother is confirmed to have conceived, no benefit of rape management and mandated support would apply. Mandated support means churches partnering with facilities and people willing to help rape victims to not become killers of unborn human life. The options after birth would be if the mother would like to keep her child, or give the child to an adoption centre or children's home. Both would be facilitated in the most safest and efficient way possible. It should be noted that should the mother choose to keep her child, she is accepting full responsibility and care from anyone else would not be mandated for her child above a monthly visit from a social worker to assist and advise on the status of the child and mother. 

To be clear, this is applying to a child's right to life and whilst it is recommended for children to be raised by their birth parents, adoption is a valid alternative not hindered by the law to relinquish responsibility of raising a child to a willing caregiver wanting to adopt or become a guardian. This is a major issue in South Africa in that numbers of babies being adopted are higher than those willing to adopt. However this is attributed by the general attitude of lack of understanding of innate value of human life and a change of heart and minds to the responsibility of raising a child will absolutely see an improvement in society when it comes to starting a family, however the nature of how that family starts. 

Recognition of the value of human life is an objective understanding that must be reflected under the law by using objective truth and applying it to our society. This is how we then improve our society as a whole. 

If you have any suggestions to add, points to consider and general feelings about this petition, please contact me (Kyle) and I would be glad to speak with you. 

Kyle David Watson    Contact the author of the petition