This is according to the Department of Health spokesperson, Ms. Faiza Steyn. The Top Act prescribes that abortions can only be done by a trained nurse or doctor in a health facility that has been designated in terms of this Act.

She warned residents not to confront a suspected illegal abortion provider directly as this could be dangerous. “Rather report the matter to the police and the Department of Health’s Mr. Koena Nkoko at the department for Health Programmes relating to maternal and child health.”

Steyn’s statements were in response to an article in the TygerBurger a few weeks ago relating to posters going up all over the Tygerberg area, advertising “Quick, same day abortions” by a certain Dr. David.

These advertisements offering illegal back street abortions are still up, despite earlier newspaper reports.

Steyn said one recognizes illegal abortion practitioners by their use of cell phone numbers on their adverts. “They often do not give full names on the advert or telephonically and no physical address is provided on the adverts.

“Mostly they want callers to leave messages to allow them to investigate if the caller is the real patient or law enforcement agencies. Should they answer the phone, they will tell patients that they will pick them up at street corners or any other place close to their area of operation,” Steyn said.

“When you ask them for their Council registration, they commonly give vague and incorrect answers.”

An upset resident of Bellville, who runs a business in Voortrekker Road in Bellville said she tried laying a charge at the Bellville police station, complaining about the posters that were put up right in front of her shop. From her initial call, she was referred to about 18 different people from the City Police to Childline and still couldn’t find a way to stop these advertisements from going up.

She went as far as volunteering to get someone to remove these posters, only to be told that she would be breaking the law and could be arrested.

Steyn said the Western Cape Provincial Department of Health’s stance is that no woman should have an illegal abortion because, “we have termination of pregnancy services at our state health facilities”.

Steyn was told that the police don’t regard it as their responsibility if posters advertising abortions go up. They refer the public to the City of Cape Town. She again pointed out that abortions not adhering to the CTOP Act, are not done with?in the boundaries of the law.

She warned those wanting to make use of these abortions that it could cause a ruptured uterus, severe bleeding, infections, infertility and even death.

. According to the National Department of Health there are 50 000 (on average) legal abortions in South Africa each year.