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In South Africa, approximately 500 000 abortions are performed each year, with over 50% of these being illegal, this according to research by the School of Public Health at the University of Witwatersrand.

Despite three decades of strong legal protections, illegal abortions disproportionately affect poor, rural, and immigrant women, as well as adolescent girls who face heightened stigma and confidentiality barriers.

The research indicates that facility-based stigma, resource constraints, insufficient provider training, and inconsistent application of conscientious objection provisions hinder equitable access to safe abortion services.

The Choice on Termination of Pregnancy Act of 1996 guarantees safe, legal abortions up to 12 weeks, and under specific conditions up to 20 weeks.

However, systemic barriers such as stigma, overcrowded clinics, lack of provider training, and poverty continue to push women into the hands of unregistered doctors and the dangerous use of pills sold through posters and social media.

Sister Malebeko Rantsho, owner of Karabo Clinic in Bloemfontein, a termination of pregnancy center that performs between 70 and 80 abortions per month, explains that the easy access to illegal facilities and abortion pills on social media is the root cause of the high number of illegal abortions.

Rantsho warns that these illegal pills can lead to fatal bleeding or permanent infertility.

“There are posters advertising these illegal abortions that provide young women easy access to these services and fake doctors, resulting in an increase in recorded illegal abortions.

“These illegal doctors give girls pills obtained from unregistered pharmacies, which sometimes do not work.

“They are highly dangerous, as women may bleed to death, she said.

Charmain Swart from the Pregnancy Crisis Centre in Bloemfontein says poverty and unemployment contribute to young women resorting to illegal abortions or abandoning their infants.

“The fear of parents and guardians plays a role, as young women are afraid to talk to them about an unexpected pregnancy,” she explains. “We need to educate parents to understand that an unexpected pregnancy is not the end of the world and that their children can still pursue their studies and have bright futures.

“Fear drives young women to take drastic measures, said Swart.

To combat this issue, the House of Hope Community Life Development Centre in Welkom has initiated the Baby Safe program, where women can safely surrender unplanned babies.

The baby box is in a discreet passageway with high walls, ensuring the privacy of women depositing their babies.

Centre manager, Tseleng Molefe, explains that once a baby is placed safely in the baby safe, the box locks automatically, and an alarm alerts ER24 and the care workers.

“The baby will then be placed in an exclusion room for a health examination by medical personnel, she said.

Molefe says, since its inception in 2021, the center has received up to ten babies through its door of hope.

“Previously, we would open a case of abandonment with the police, but they often cited insufficient information.

“Now we refer the matter to the Department of Social Development for a case to be opened.

“The box is not used as frequently as before, but we still hear about children being abandoned.

“Even though we strive to create awareness during our outreach in Thabong, we are told that abandoned foetuses and newborn babies are frequently found at dumping sites, Molefe said.

Spokesperson for the Free State Department of Social Development, Thembile Ngabeni, stated that the department offers free support services for unplanned pregnancies.

“We provide free social workers who can offer psychosocial support to women.

 “Communities can also play a role by being trained and screened as temporary safe care parents.

“They should be educated about reporting procedures and raised awareness of alternative care options for babies and children when parents are unable to care for them, Nqabeni said.

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Free State Targets Surgical Backlogs 

The three-day Cataract Marathon, held over the weekend at Boitumelo Regional Hospital in Kroonstad, was a great success, with over 100 patients receiving treatment.

Screening was conducted last week Friday with cataract operations scheduled for Saturday and Sunday.

According to a press release from the Free State Department of Health, patient safety was prioritised, and theatre lists were finalised based on vital signs.

"Blood sugar and blood pressure were monitored on the day. If levels were found to be high, patients were scheduled for another appointment to ensure they could still benefit from these life-changing surgeries," stated Bongi Mthimkhulu, the CEO of Boitumelo Regional Hospital.

This initiative follows a pledge by Free State MEC for Health Monyatso Mahlatsi, during his department budget vote, to restore surgical capacity, reopen underutilised theatres, and improve access to specialist care in public hospitals. The province is currently facing a cataract backlog of over 1,000 patients.

The department has also confirmed plans to reopen and strengthen theatres at several facilities across the province, including Thusanong Hospital, Katleho Hospital, Albert Nzula Hospital, Mafube Hospital, Fezi Ngubentombi Hospital, Elizabeth Ross Hospital, National District Hospital, and the neonatal unit at Dihlabeng Regional Hospital.

Build One South Africa (BOSA) leader, Mmusi Maimane, has officially availed himself to chair the newly formed 31-member parliamentary committee set to consider the possible impeachment of President Cyril Ramaphosa.

According to a report by the Sunday Times, Maimane’s willingness to steer the high-stakes inquiry comes amid an intense drive by opposition political parties to block the African National Congress (ANC) from taking control of the process.

The committee is scheduled to meet for the first time to elect a chairperson and establish the roadmap for investigating the 2020 Phala Phala game farm scandal.

According to The Sunday Times opposition formations are actively leveraging their superior numbers to ensure the probe into the theft of over 580 000 US dollars (around R9.8 million at the time) remains strictly independent of executive influence.

Maimane confirmed that multiple opposition parties have already approached him to lead the multi-party panel, citing his position outside the Government of National Unity (GUN) as a key advantage.

“I have been approached by a number of political parties who have said: ‘Look, you are outside of the GNU, you have got the legal integrity, would you be available to chair this committee?’” Maimane revealed.

“And I have said yes, I am available,” he added.

The ANC finds itself in a highly vulnerable legislative position - holding a mere nine seats on the 31-member panel. The remaining 22 seats are held by opposition benches, stripping the ANC of the absolute majority it historically relied on to shield its leadership.

Furthermore, the ANC intends to nominate former deputy chief whip, Doris Mpapane, who currently chairs the portfolio committee on the Presidency.

However, opposition leaders are fiercely lobbying for a non-GNU candidate to guarantee public credibility and legal impartiality, according to The Sunday Times.

Compounding the ANC’s dilemma is the cautious stance of its primary coalition partner, the Democratic Alliance (DA), which holds five seats on the panel.

DA leaders are believed to be quite hesitant to claim the chairmanship themselves, fearing that leading the impeachment process could create a conflict of interest and destabilise the national coalition if adverse findings are made.

Meanwhile, smaller political formations are digging in their heels to ensure GNU partners do not compromise the integrity of the constitutional process.

African Transformation Movement (ATM) leader, Vuyo Zungula, whose party initiated the Ramaphosa’s impeachment calls, strongly backed the exclusion of all executive-aligned parties from the registry of potential chairs.

“The issue of Phala Phala is a parliamentary process, it's not a GNU process. The focus must be on restoring parliamentary oversight,” Zungula said, as quoted by The Sunday Times.

As the critical vote approaches, the ANC faces a daunting battle to protect its Ramaphosa within a fragmented parliamentary landscape it no longer controls.

Political tensions and allegations of selfish interests have emerged as major stumbling blocks in the reconfiguration of municipal troikas in the Nala and Masilonyana local municipalities, threatening efforts to stabilise governance and improve service delivery.

What was expected to be a smooth leadership renewal process has instead exposed deep divisions within party structures, with claims that some leaders are placing personal ambitions ahead of organisational unity and the interests of communities.

This comes despite the ANC provincial leadership, through spokesperson Thabo Meeko, earlier assuring this publication that the reconfiguration of seven struggling municipal troikas “has progressed smoothly”, with only a few internal matters still to be resolved in Nala and Masilonyana municipalities.

However, according to the party’s Regional Executive Committee (REC), the failure to finalise the process in the two municipalities is being driven by the narrow and selfish interests of certain provincial leaders and members of the municipal troikas.

Addressing a media briefing on Thursday, regional secretary Irvin Riet said the Lejweleputswa region was the only region where the implementation of the reconfiguration process had been selective, inconsistent and unfairly applied.

“Here in the region, only the mayor of the Lejweleputswa District Municipality has been reconfigured, while other components of the political leadership remain untouched despite the collective governance failures confronting this municipality. We are seriously concerned as the REC regarding the continued resistance by certain provincial officials to finalise the process in the district municipality, as well as in Nala and Masilonyana local municipalities,” said Riet.

The reshuffle, announced in August last year by ANC Free State provincial secretary Polediso Motsoeneng, was aimed at realigning political priorities, stabilising municipalities and accelerating service delivery.

Riet said even more concerning were allegations that the troika in Masilonyana had indicated that they would not vacate office until certain arrangements and undertakings made between themselves and some provincial officials were implemented.

“We note with concern the conduct of the troika in Masilonyana, whose refusal to comply with the organisational directive to resign has now escalated into open defiance of the REC,” he said.

Meanwhile, Meeko maintained that the process was progressing smoothly, with only two of the seven municipalities still expected to elect new mayors.

“The process is going smoothly and should be completed within a week or two. The organisation is currently finalising a few internal issues within Nala and Masilonyana local municipalities,” said Meeko.

He welcomed the election of new mayors in Mafube, Moqhaka, Letsemeng, Nketoana and the Lejweleputswa District Municipality.

“We are happy as the ANC that capable leaders are being put in place to fast-track issues confronting the municipalities, including service delivery to the people,” he said.

Phaladi Matsole was recently elected as the new mayor of Mafube Local Municipality, while Ramasimong Daniel Tau was appointed mayor of Moqhaka Local Municipality.

Meanwhile, Andrew Visagie, Godfrey and Phindiwe Maseko were elected mayors of Letsemeng, Nketoana and Lejweleputswa District Municipality respectively.

The ANC in Mangaung is heading for a second attempt at holding its long-awaited regional conference, setting the stage for another high-stakes political showdown expected to test party unity, leadership stability and organisational discipline in the metro.

The region suffered a major setback earlier this month when the conference, convened to elect a new regional executive committee, dramatically collapsed at the eleventh hour after national deployee Thandi Moraka announced that her team had uncovered serious credential irregularities after voting had already concluded.

Among the concerns raised were allegations that at least eight additional ballot papers had been inserted into the ballot box by unknown individuals after the voting process had ended.

ANC Free State provincial spokesperson Thabo Meeko has since confirmed that the conference will reconvene from today.

“As per the directive from the national leadership, all processes of the conference will start afresh. The nullification of the conference was largely due to the ballot not tallying with the voters’ roll, and as such, all processes were cancelled, including the credentials. The rerun conference will adopt its own credentials and continue with its business,” said Meeko.

The decision follows an instruction by ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula ordering a rerun of the Mangaung conference after a formal request by the Provincial Executive Committee (PEC).

In a letter addressed to Moraka and provincial secretary Polediso Motsoeneng, Mbalula directed that the conference be rerun on “a re-verified branch base, a re-issued Credentials Report and a properly signed-off voters’ roll.”

The letter, seen by Journal News, states that all procedural decisions taken during the abandoned conference have been nullified, including the adoption of a credentials report for 260 voting delegates.

“Every act purporting to flow from the day — the adoption of the Credentials Report (260 voting delegates), the unopposed declaration in respect of the Regional Treasurer, the cast and counted ballots, and every other procedural step — is set aside and of no force or effect. No certificate of outcome shall issue, no MMS update of any purported office-bearer shall be effected, and no public communication shall be made on the strength of those proceedings,” Mbalula wrote.

He said his office found that an unsigned voters’ roll, the failure to reconcile the attendance register with the adopted credentials report, eight excess ballots beyond the 260 accredited delegates, and lapses in venue access control had fatally undermined the credibility of the conference.