Much has been written in recent weeks on the passing of
Nelson Mandela. There is no doubt that his achievements in negotiating a
peaceful transition of power in South Africa was truly remarkable. May he rest
in peace.
It is a therefore a great pity that Mandela’s pro-abortion
record as South Africa’s President is such a major stain on his record as a
human rights champion.
During his term as President of the Republic of South Africa
(RSA) Mr. Mandela signed the ‘Choice on Termination of Pregnancy Act of 1996’ bringing
about what the pro-abortion Guttmacher Institute has called “one of the most
liberal abortion laws in the world.”
The law allows abortion on demand up to the 20th week and up
to birth for ‘serious medical reasons. The law, which was amended in 2004 also
allows registered nurses and midwives to perform abortions before the 12th
week.
Mr Mandela's African National Congress (ANC) has a strong
ideological committment to abortion, with the ANC Women's League strongly
behind the legalisation of abortion on demand. The ANC has for decades been in
a close political and electoral alliance with the South African Communist Party
Since the legalization of abortion in the RSA, there have
been at least 1 million legal abortions reported to the government.
The 1996 Constitution signed by Mr Mandela made South Africa
the first country to forbid so-called discrimination on the grounds of
"sexual orientation”. Homosexualist activists have honoured Mr Mandela for
this provision.
Mr Mandela was one of "The Elders", a group of
retired international public figures dominated by leading international
advocates of abortion, homosexuality and population control.
