A local church’s youth group took to the streets of Makhado on Saturday morning to remove hundreds of illegal posters advertising abortions and the enlargement of male genitalia. They spent their Youth Day cleaning up part of the CBD and encouraging others to also take responsibility for the environment.

The Soutpansberg congregation of the Dutch Reformed Church launched the initiative to rid the town of the unwanted and illegal posters. “Someone has to start and tell the people who put up these posters that we are not content with the way they destroy the beauty of our town. We also do not condone their illegal activities and the manner in which they destroy innocent lives,” says the youth minister at the church, Rudolph Botha.

Makhado, like so many other towns in the country, suffers from the scourge of these illegal activities. The posters are pasted on just about every street pole, stop sign and even electricity distribution boxes. “You will hardly find a parking meter in town without one of these offensive posters stuck onto it,” said Botha.

What is worrying is that the authorities do very little to act against the perpetrators. In other parts of the country where communities have questioned the police on this, it was stated that it is a matter of “misleading advertising” and thus a matter for the Advertising Standards Authority. This is, however, doubtful as several laws and by-laws are being transgressed.

The modus operandi of the groups is fairly simple. The posters advertise “Safe Abortions” and normally refer to a Dr Nana or a Dr Bisa or some other name of a so-called doctor. A cell phone number is supplied, with no physical address added to the poster. When the number is called, respondents are put in contact with a local “agent” who supplies the women with pills such as Cytotec (also known as Misoprostol). This type of medication is prescribed for medical ulcers, but can be used to terminate pregnancies as it induces uterine contractions.

Part of the problem is that these pills are not dispensed by trained and qualified health practitioners and can lead to a lot of pain and even death if administered incorrectly. It should also only be used if the pregnancy is in its early stages (nine weeks or less).

In South Africa, abortion was legalised, under certain conditions, in 1996 when the Choice on Termination of Pregnancy Act was passed.  It makes provision for women to access legal abortions on request at state or private facilities up to 12 weeks into the pregnancy.The Act stipulates that any person who is not a medical practitioner or registered nurse with special training who performs an abortion is guilty of an offense.

The question is being asked why women opt for back-street abortions when such services are available free of charge at state clinics. “The answer lies in a combination of factors such as the time when the pregnancy is discovered (after 12 weeks), a fear of stigmatization and perhaps pure convenience,” says Botha. “It is easier to pay a few hundred rands for a couple of pills than go to a government clinic where you have to be examined and receive counselling,” he adds.

The backstreet abortions are, however, dangerous and could lead to infertility or even death. “If we can help save one life by removing the posters, it will all be worthwhile,” says Botha.

The group of volunteers who helped to take down the posters on Saturday are very realistic about the future challenges. “We need to get more people involved,” says Frans van der Merwe, one of the volunteers. Frans has been removing the posters for some time, as he believes it destroys many young lives and is also a blatant act of lawlessness.

“What needs to happen is that every property owner or manager of a business must join the fight against the illegal posters. If all of us simply remove the offensive material in front of our shops or houses, they will stop,” says Frans.

According to him, local job seekers are offered a few rands to put up the posters early in the morning hours, so as not to be seen. “If we take them down immediately, they (the kingpins) will realise they are fighting a losing battle. At this stage, we are a few individuals taking down the posters. If a couple of hundred people joined us and just cleaned in front of their premises, the odds would change dramatically in favour of law-abiding citizens,” Frans adds.

According to Rudolph Botha, they are planning a similar action within the next few weeks. “We invite all other organisations, whether their members are young or old, to join us. If we rid the town of these posters, we will send out a clear message to everyone that our town is not a haven for lawless people who have no regard for human life.”

Interested parties can contact him at 084-6450391.