Are more residents of Louis Trichardt getting into the habit of taking down and destroying illegal abortion posters within their reach?
In the centre of town, where traffic signs and parking meters are favourite display surfaces for the illicit posters, there are signs that irate pedestrians are beginning to adopt a “zero-tolerance” attitude. Also in Eltivillas, Makhado Park and Tshikota there are signs that residents are selectively destroying these offensive, illicit advertising material, illegally displayed in public places. In Makhado Park, five of these posters, which were prominently pasted up at the entrance gate to the Makhado Park Comprehensive School, together with those pasted onto lamp posts in the residential area and along the N1, were taken down during the past weeks.
The posters are a major polluting factor in most towns in Limpopo. According to observers, they also pose a potentially serious social, health and moral threat, especially to teenagers. With deceitful perceptions and false information, the posters lure uninformed people into life-threatening situations.
Most of the abortion posters claim to have a cheap, quick, easy and painless solution to the predictable consequences of an undisciplined and immoral lifestyle. In contravention of the appropriate legislation, this “medical” solution is offered by individuals posing as medical practitioners, without quoting their practice licence number or physical address.
The only body in Louis Trichardt which is seemingly still totally comfortable with the display of these dangerously unlawful posters on their doorstep is the Makhado Municipality. For more than 10 weeks, the main public entrance to the municipal complex, as well as the main entrance for official vehicles, was the only place in Krogh street where these illegal abortion posters were left undisturbed -  pasted up illegally on traffic signs in clear view of all who enter.
On February 12 this year, municipal spokesperson Louis Bobodi was quoted in a news interview that the municipality was “investigating” these advertisements. He then said a person would in the meantime be tasked to remove the posters, adding that harsh measures would be taken against the culprits. A news report at the time also carried a photo of Bobodi and traffic official Mr George Masonto, threatening action against the illegal posters.
Almost immediately after the publication of the report, the illegal abortion posters appeared at the two main entrances to the municipal complex. They remained, undisturbed, to be displayed to this day. During the past week there were in fact fresh ones added.
Several residents stated that the continued lack of official action is disturbing. In general conversations in the community, the question is already being asked pertinently: If anybody (including a local authority) is aware of an ongoing offense and does not do anything about it, does that not constitute complicity?