South Africa Pro-Life Advocates Rally Against Abortion, Say 500K Since 1997 
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by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
March 22, 2006
Durban, South Africa (LifeNews.com) — Several pro-life groups and churches rallied together against abortion in the South African beachside city of Durban on Tuesday. Led by the group Christians for Truth, they held a silent march against the more than 500,000 abortions that have been done there since abortion became legal in 1997.
Participants held signs showing their convictions reading "Abortion kills Babies" and "Another child is killed by Abortion … How many more?"
According to the Independent newspaper CFT held the rally on Human Rights Day to show that human rights are denied when unborn children are killed before birth.
"It is simply untrue that South Africa has a culture of human rights if the most basic human right, the right to life itself, is being legally disregarded," CFT member Ruth Schroeder told the newspaper.
"It is incorrect for people to say that abortion is a right. Just because it is legal does not make it a right," she said.
According to CFT, abortion is legal in the African nation but polls there show 80 percent of the population opposes abortion on demand. South African is one of the few African nations to have legalized abortions. Most others either prohibit it entirely or in most cases.
The Independent reported that an unnamed male protester said he had personally been adversely affected by abortion.
"I am also a victim of abortion, as I recently learnt that a person close to me has had one. I was totally devastated and now understand why such groups are standing up against this inhumane practice," he said.
"They are dangerous, especially to the woman or teenager who is having one.
"There are enormous risks to their health which I believe are not conveyed to the women," he said.
The groups said they also worried about teens having abortions without their parents knowledge or input.
The newspaper said similar silent demonstrations were held in Cape Town, Bloemfontein and Pretoria, the nation’s capital city.
