Windhoek
Four women are free on bail of N$2 000 each after they were arrested for allegedly selling abortion tablets.
Stella Kasume, 33, Elsa Henguva, 40, Eunice Henguva, 22, and Pamela Henguva, 39 appeared in the Katutura Magistrate’s Court yesterday to answer to the allegations. They face a charge of dealing in schedule two medicine without a medical prescription, therefore contravening section 29 of the medicines and related control Act 13 of 2003.
Kasume and Elsa Henguva first appeared in court on July 17 after they were arrested three days earlier. Kasume was then granted bail of N$2 000 on August 3 after a successful bail application.
The other three were granted bail yesterday. The matter was remanded to August 31.
Eunice Henguva and Pamela Henguva were arrested on Friday.
Magistrate Claudia Classen presided over the matter yesterday. Mari Andimba represented the State.
This newspaper last year reported after its own investigation that despite being illegal, abortion is rife in Namibia with undercover sellers of abortion pills raking in huge revenues.
The article indicated that the pills sold for N$250 to N$300 depending on who the supplier was.
An additional N$50 for delivery is required in some instances. And depending on how far advanced the pregnancy is, more tablets may be required to terminate the pregnancy.
A supplier at the time said that if one is four weeks pregnant, three tablets were needed to terminate the pregnancy. This meant paying a minimum of N$750 for the three pills, or N$800 if delivery of the tablets was included.
Another supplier said then that one should “get it (abortion done) before two months. The earlier you do it the better because there is less bleeding.”