19 October 2007
The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health was awakened by calls from the media
about dumped condoms in the Inanda area on 14 October 2007.
This followed the discovery of dumped condoms by the MEC for Agriculture and
Environmental Affairs, Mtholephi Mthimkhulu. The provincial and district teams
of the Department of Health staff dispatched to check these allegations
discovered that indeed this was true. Samples of these have been sent to the
national office to trace their area of origin. A criminal case was also opened
with the South African Police Service (SAPS) in the area as this was viewed by
the department as illegal dumping.
Our investigations have revealed that the company that produced these is
Kohrs Medical and these condoms were supposedly supplied to the Queenstown AIDS
Training Information and Counselling Centre (ATTIC) in the Eastern Cape. It is
yet unclear how these condoms ended up in Inanda.
Another batch was found in the Isipingo area on 15 October 2007 and it was
established that these were from the company called Juel Health which is
another supplier of condoms among the seven that the national Department of
Health had contracted.
The department is concerned with the emerging trend of illegal dumping of
condoms. We believe that this is as a result of the crackdown by the Department
of Health on the quality standards of all from suppliers contracted to the
department. We are going to engage the SAPS through our Risk Management
Directorate so that the perpetrators are brought to book.
We want to reassure the general public that we are doing all our best to
ensure that condoms that do not meet the required quality standards are not
distributed to the public. We will also crack down on the scrupulous suppliers
who want to rob the department by providing below standards products.
Contact:
Leon Mbangwa
Departmental Spokesperson
Cell: 083 459 8695
Issued by: Department of Health, KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government
19 October 2007
