"Performing an abortion is not about terminating pregnancy alone, it’s also about knowing and understanding the emotional and social implications," says Mr Phuti Seloba, spokesperson for the Provincial Department of Health and Social Development.

Reacting to a media enquiry about the flood of semi-anonymous advertisements for "cheap, legalised abortions" being plastered all over Louis Trichardt, the Limpopo Department of Health and Social Development sounded a word of caution.

Seloba declined to comment directly on the advertisements as such, but drew attention to the objectives of the Choice of Termination of Pregnancy Amendment Bill of 2003 which allows registered nurses who have undergone the prescribed training to perform terminations of pregnancy in facilities officially approved by the Member of the Executive Council, in consultation with the national minister. The objectives of the bill do away with the designation by the Minister of Health regarding facilities where termination of pregnancy may take place, which is a lengthy process. The member of the executive council responsible for health in a province is empowered to approve those facilities. The member of the executive council concerned is also empowered to prescribe, by regulation, the requirements and conditions applicable to facilities where termination of pregnancies may take place. The national minister must, however, approve these regulations before they are implemented.

It is an offence for any person to terminate a pregnancy unlawfully or allow a termination of pregnancy at a facility which has not been approved.

The bill’s objectives allow public and private facilities that have a 24-hour maternity service to terminate pregnancies of up to and including 12 weeks, without seeking approval from the member of the executive council concerned.

"For people to use unaccredited sites is an insult to their own dignity and the ones they live with. Let’s take good care of ourselves, because it’s not about terminating pregnancy alone, it’s about knowing and understanding the social implications. If there are suspicions about ethical conduct, people can report such greedy medicos to the council," says Seloba.

The advertisements being plastered on lamp poles, traffic signs and dust bins in Louis Trichardt, in obvious contravention of municipal regulations, contain only a surname and cell phone number, but no physical address. They contain wording like: "We are the best. Quick, cheap, safe and pain free, same day legalized abortion," "Life guarded abortion" and "Stop unplanned birth. Raising a child is not easy."

The prices listed for these "quick, cheap" abortions vary from R500 (1-4 weeks) to R1 000 (for "12 weeks and above"). There is no indication as to the availability of appropriate pre- or post-abortion counselling or at what facility the abortion is to take place. The lack of a physical address makes it impossible for the responsible authorities to inspect or monitor the premises or for would-be clients to ascertain whether the facilities have in fact been approved. The different advertisements display different names (e.g. Dr Frazer, Dr Trevor and Mrs Londolani) but all the advertisements are styled in the same way with rip-off contact strips. Mrs Londolani advertises Life Guarded Abortion, Now in Town; Dr Trevor advertises 100% guaranteed - safe and pain free abortions in Pretoria and Thohoyandou; and Dr Frazer advertises Legalised Abortion and also quotes prices for 12 weeks "and above." By law, abortions are only allowed up to and including 12 weeks.

When Dr Frazer’s contact number was phoned, it was answered by a lady who said the abortions were done in a private clinic in Thohoyandou. Asked about the physical address, she referred the enquiry to "the owner" who confirmed that he was Dr Frazer, a medical doctor. When he was asked about his clinic’s physical address he said: "I have many places. Right now I am driving on the freeway to Natal." Asked about the physical address of his clinic in Thohoyandou, he said he has a place in Sibasa. His head office is in Pretoria. Asked to be more specific about the address in Sibasa, he said that he would be back in Limpopo at the beginning of March, at which time this could be discussed. Asked if there was any connection between his operation and that of Dr Trevor and Mrs. Londolani, he said: "I know those people, but there is no connection between us."

Mrs Londolani was phoned and said her premises are next to, or rather behind, Home Affairs in Louis Trichardt. Asked whether the premises had been approved by the department for performing abortions, she hesitated and asked a number to phone back.

The spokesperson for the Makhado Municipality, Mr Louis Bobodi, said upon enquiry that anybody who wants to paste up advertisements in town must first get permission from the municipality to do so. There are also prescribed ways and places in which such advertisements should be displayed.

"We are now busy investigating these advertisements," he said.