By Simthandile Ngcobo
Despite the removal of a number of illegal posters each week, illegal abortion advertisements have become a growing concern across Durban.
These posters promise “pain-free same-day abortions” appearing on nearly every street corner and even near universities. Despite the efforts by municipal workers to remove them, they reappear overnight. The ads, often plastered on street poles, taxi ranks, and walls close to public health facilities and student residences, promote unregulated services that endanger women’s lives.
“We scrap hundreds of them every other week. They paste in the early hours before work starts and paste them again. It is getting tiring because what they are advertising is dangerous, especially for university girls,” said Sipho Dlamini, a municipal worker in Durban Central.
Health experts warn that these procedures are unsafe and could lead to serious medical complications or even death.
Dr Lindiwe Khumalo, a reproductive health specialist at Addington Hospital, said most of these ‘practitioners’ are not licensed medical professionals.
“They use unapproved pills and unsafe methods. We have treated many women who came in with severe infections and internal bleeding,” she explained.
She further said, regardless of the Choice on Termination of Pregnancy Act, which legalises abortion under safe and regulated conditions, many young women continue to turn to illegal services. Experts blame stigma, long clinic queues, and limited privacy for pushing them towards unsafe alternatives.
“Legal doesn’t mean accessible. Many women don’t know where to go for safe abortions or fear being judged by nurses. They shouldn’t have to risk their lives because they fear being shamed. Education needs to start with us medical practitioners so our girls can talk and ask for help without the fear of being judged,” she concluded.
She stressed that increasing awareness and improving attitudes within healthcare facilities could make a real difference in saving lives, ensuring that women feel supported rather than shamed when seeking reproductive health services.
A 21-year-old student from Lindelani township, said she turned to one of these advertised numbers on the illegal posters after struggling to access services at a local clinic.
“I didn’t know where to go or who to talk to. The clinic was full, and I didn’t want people to see me there. I tried my luck and called one of these numbers on the posters. They told me to meet them near the Pietermaritzburg taxi rank with R800, and they gave me a single pill in an envelope. I bled for days; I thought I was dying because of the pain I was in. I ended up being rushed to the hospital,” said a source who asked for anonymity.
Students across Durban’s tertiary institutions, including those around the city centre and Berea, say these posters are impossible to miss. Some appear on lamp posts near student residences, bus stops, and even near campuses, making illegal services easily accessible to young women under pressure or lacking information about safe options.
“On my way to campus, I see at least five of them. They target us because they know students panic when something like this happens,” said Nolwazi Ncube, a DUT student.
