||Kharas Regional Council, Chairperson Joseph Isaaks has called on the government to conduct detailed research on why mothers end up engaging in abortions and dump babies before it considers legalizing abortion in Namibia.

Isaaks made the call at a stakeholder meeting by the Parliamentary standing committee on gender, equality, social development and family affairs here on Friday.

“I personally do not support the legalisation of abortion, because it is the killing of a human being and I cannot support that,” he said.

Isaaks said it is a mother’s pride to have a baby and government should find out why mothers prefer to dump babies.

“Our decision should be guided by research. My advice is that we research before we make these laws because, in the end, these laws will regulate our own people, if we take these things lightly, we might lead our society in the wrong direction. We must be guided by moral principles,” stressed Isaaks.

||Kharas Regional Council, Acting Chief Regional Officer, Benedictus Diergaardt said it is time that government look at ways of introducing structures to accommodate children that are to be adopted as this will help reduce the increasing incidences of baby dumping.

“Government should be able to accommodate these babies, there should be a place countrywide where mothers can feel free to go to and give their babies up for adoption. In my personal view, I do not support the legalisation of abortion, perhaps we can create these platforms so that illegal abortion is minimised,” he said.

He added that Namibia must engage countries like South Africa that has legalised abortion and see the effects it has made over the years before making any decision on whether to or not legalise abortion.

The standing committee is having meetings with various stakeholders in the region to get their input on whether government should or should not legalise abortion.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency