SWAZIPHARM OWNS NABBED MEDICAL SUPPLIES

MBABANE – The healthcare consignment nabbed at the Oshoek Border Gate, while being transported to South Africa, belongs to local giant pharmaceutical company, Swazipharm and is worth over E1.1 million.

Documents in the Times of Eswatini possession can reveal that the bulk of the consignment consisted of medical supplies, which are not restricted, according to the SA law. The supplies comprised suction catheters, mucus extractors, wound suction drain, latex gloves, silicon tubing and other devices used in healthcare facilities. This revelation follows the arrest of the driver of the truck which was transporting the medical supplies. He was arrested on the SA side of the border on April 14, 2023, and has already appeared at the Chief Albert Luthuli Magistrates Court, where he was admitted to bail fixed at E5 000.

Revealed

It has been revealed that Swazipharm had sold the medical supplies to SA’s Supra Healthcare in Johannesburg. When the goods were intercepted at the border, they were being transported to Johannesburg, as per the procurement procedure. The exportation of the goods was authorised by the Government of Eswatini after due security checks, according to a document seen by this publication, which is also in its possession. It is believed that this accounts for the reason that the Eswatini side of the border had not taken issue with the transportation of the supplies. The authority was signed by Assistant Director of Pharmaceutical Services Brenda Mhlanga and directed to the commissioner general of the Eswatini Revenue Authority. It reads in part: “Your office is kindly informed that Swazipharm, a registered importer/exporter with the Ministry of Health, has been granted authority to export the following commodities to Supra Healthcare JHB using invoices number SWAINV370391, dated 20/12/2022.” The amount in the invoice attached reflects that the total cost of the goods is E1.152 867.51.
It was reliably gathered that the bulk of the medical supplies had been purchased at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the company opted to dispose of it when the pandemic subsided.

Questions

Principal Secretary (PS) in the Ministry of Health Dr Simon Zwane was asked a number of questions seeking to know why the consignment was blocked if all paperwork was checked and authorised; if a distinction had been made between medical consignment and/or supplies, and whether the Eswatini Government had studied the case and observed any violations that needed to be avoided by exporters in future to avoid contravening the SA laws. He said he could not understand why the export permit, if it was cleared by the ministry, had not been produced to the Customs officials at the border. “We could tell the consignment was medical supplies but cannot say that with absolute certainty. “Transportation of such goods has specific requirements and regulations to be adhered to, to safeguard public health. It is, therefore, important for the industry to follow them,” Dr Zwane said. Supra Healthcare said they would respond to questions from the Times through Swazipharm. Meanwhile, when the issue was brought to the Chief Albert Luthuli Magistrates Court, it was said that the goods were worth about E800 000. The driver of the truck that was transporting the goods was identified as Bongani Sifiso Shongwe, a liSwati national. 

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