Zim GBC News | South African Correspondent
CAPE TOWN – A 42-year-old Zimbabwean national has been arrested in Khayelitsha’s Ilitha Park for allegedly selling illegal medicines stored under his bed, South African police confirmed on Wednesday.
The arrest came after Operation Shanela II acted on intelligence reports about suspected illegal activity at the premises. During a search of the property, authorities discovered large quantities of unauthorized medicine concealed in a bedroom.
Police spokesperson Constable Ndakhe Gwala stated:
“The members found a 42-year-old Zimbabwean male in the house. And during the search, they found large quantities of medicine hidden under the bed. The suspect admitted that he sells the medicine to his fellow countrymen.”
The arrest coincides with South Africa’s launch of a National Action Plan (NAP) to combat the growing threat of substandard and falsified medical products.
The initiative, unveiled by the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority in partnership with the National Department of Health and the World Health Organization, aims to safeguard public health across the country.
According to WHO data, approximately one in ten medical products in low- and middle-income countries, including South Africa, is substandard or falsified, leading to severe health complications and thousands of preventable deaths annually.
Dr Boitumelo Semete-Makokotlela, CEO of SAHPRA, emphasized the importance of collaborative efforts:
“Through unwavering collaboration, we’ve transformed a fragmented challenge into a unified front, ensuring that every family, from rural clinics to urban pharmacies, can access medicines they can trust.”
The suspect faces charges for Contravention of the Medicine and Related Substances Act 101 of 1995 and is currently detained at Harare SAPS.
He is expected to appear in the Khayelitsha Magistrate’s Court once formally charged.
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