By Caryn Dolley
Despite men and women posing as medical doctors and openly advertising their "safe and pain-free abortions", police have yet to arrest anyone.
And in the nearly five months during which the Cape Times has contacted at least 14 "doctors", officers probing their activities have apparently made little progress in their investigations.
This is even though the brazen men and women advertise their services on street poles near police stations.
Yesterday, the Cape Times came across adverts for at least five "doctors" offering "quick, same day" abortions, bringing the total number of bogus doctors contacted in nearly five months to 14.
In May, one of them even sold "abortion pills" to this reporter, who claimed to be 16 weeks pregnant.
The pills were the kind used only in the first stage of a medical abortion up to nine weeks of pregnancy.
Yesterday, the Cape Times came across abortion adverts in Wynberg, in Observatory, near Manenberg and in Gugulethu.
But police spokesman André Traut said officers had "no new developments to report on this subject ... nor any record of prosecutions".
At the beginning of June, police spokesman Billy Jones said officers were "in the process of gathering the necessary information".
Yesterday "Dr Thembi", who advertised on poles in Gugulethu as well as near the police station, told the Cape Times reporter - who this time claimed to be 14 weeks pregnant - that the pills he offered for R600 would result in an almost immediate abortion.
"You just drink the pills and you will have your normal menstruation with a few blood clots. At 14 weeks you don't even have a baby."
Another "doctor" - Dr Tina - said she could provide "abortion pills" for R800.
"The pills work after two hours. You bleed for three days, then come back to me to get cleaning pills."
She would not explain what the "cleaning pills" would do and urged the reporter to meet her at a post office in Somerset West.
Another "doctor", Dr Nambi, said she would charge R700 "to make the 14-week baby go away".
Other than saying "I know the tablets you'll take", she refused to talk further over the phone and insisted the reporter meet her instead.
Dr J Elvis, who advertised on poles around Wynberg train station, said he would give the reporter "highly restricted medical tablets" for R900.
"It's a simple medical procedure that will take five to 10 minutes. You take the high-value pills I give and within three to four hours that stuff can be expelled."
None of the "doctors" said a medical examination was necessary. An examination is mandatory before a legal abortion.