Statement by Nazley Sharif MP, DA Spokesperson on Basic Education:
After the appointment of my colleague, Alexandra Abrahams MP, as Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry & Competition, I will be sponsoring the DA’s “Safe Relinquishment Bill”, also known as the Baby Savers Bill.
This is crucial, as it legalises and regulates baby savers and baby safe havens by offering a humane solution to unsafe baby abandonment. This will save lives and allow mothers in crisis with a safe and legal avenue.
Due to the change of sponsoring members, the Bill will be withdrawn and reintroduced. It is a mere technically in the legislative process.
Our Bill is also in stark contrast to the Draft Bill of the Department of Social Development, which seeks to criminalise safe relinquishment. If passed, this would force the closure of Baby Saver facilities that have already saved more than 600 babies. Criminalising safe relinquishment will drive desperate mothers into acts of unsafe abandonment.
We call on the Minister of Social Development, Sisisi Tolashe, to scrap her Department’s dangerous and unethical provisions in the draft legislation.
The DA is committed to ensuring the safety of babies, and we thank all for the submissions they have made on the DA’s proposed Bill.