South Africa Abortion Centers Reach Agreement on Operating Without License

International   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Sep 14, 2007   |   9:00AM   |   WASHINGTON, DC

South Africa Abortion Centers Reach Agreement on Operating Without License Email this article
Printer friendly page

by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
September 14,
2007

Pretoria, South Africa (LifeNews.com) — The British abortion business Marie Stopes International, which also operates abortion centers in South Africa, has reached an agreement with the government there about four of its facilities that it operated without proper medical licenses. The news comes as abortion centers in the U.S. fight new licensing requirements.

Four Marie Stopes abortion facilities failed to get the proper medical license to operate and, in May, they received notice from the Western Cape department of heath.

Health officials threatened criminal sanctions if they continued to operate without proper documentation and inspection.

In an agreement with the Cape High Court, MSI was able to stall a hearing on the matter until February 2008.

Noluthando Ntlokwana, a lawyer for the abortion centers told SABC News that they will continue to do unlicensed abortions until the hearing.

Ntlokwana also claims the health codes are outdated.

"The regulation that the province wants to impose was passed in 1980 under a different act," she alleged. "What we are arguing is that the department can’t use those regulations because the act says that provinces can make regulations in consultation with the minister under the choice act."

Health department representative Faiza Steyn says it’s not trying to stop MSI from doing abortions, but wants it to follow the laws and requirements.

In the state of Missouri, abortion centers are also trying to get around new licensing requirements that would require them to conduct extensive repairs that would bring them in line with the health codes legitimate medical centers use.