Durban couple sentenced for illegal abortion clinic
A Durban couple is facing prison time after pleading guilty to running an illegal abortion clinic in the city centre last month.
Magistrate Prem Singh handed Ugandan-born teacher, Ahmed Katabazi and his South African wife, Buyisiwe Sosibo five years behind bars for five counts of contravening the Choice on Termination of Pregnancy Act.
KwaZulu-Natal Health MEC, Sibongiseni Dhlomo has welcomed the sentence.
"We hope that this will send a very strong message to those people who claim to be practitioners in this matter. Only a healthcare trained person will carry out such procedures, in a health facility," he said.
Dhlomo says the department's campaign to clamp down on, and educate the public about the dangers of, illegal abortion clinics, is yielding results.
"Since we started this campaign, there has been a decrease in the number of people going to these bogus doctors," he said.
The couple was arrested during an undercover operation at their Dr Pixley KaSeme Street, formerly West Street, in December.
During a subsequent raid, police recovered large quantities of labour-inducing medication as well as rudimentary equipment used in the abortion process.
They also found a woman there who had already been given the medication and was waiting for her contractions to start.
KwaZulu-Natal Health MEC, Sibongiseni Dhlomo has welcomed the sentence.
"We hope that this will send a very strong message to those people who claim to be practitioners in this matter. Only a healthcare trained person will carry out such procedures, in a health facility," he said.
Dhlomo says the department's campaign to clamp down on, and educate the public about the dangers of, illegal abortion clinics, is yielding results.
"Since we started this campaign, there has been a decrease in the number of people going to these bogus doctors," he said.
The couple was arrested during an undercover operation at their Dr Pixley KaSeme Street, formerly West Street, in December.
During a subsequent raid, police recovered large quantities of labour-inducing medication as well as rudimentary equipment used in the abortion process.
They also found a woman there who had already been given the medication and was waiting for her contractions to start.