By: Bright Ntuli
The South African Federation of Trade Unions has expressed concern over a new syndicate that is stealing essential medicine from public health facilities and illegally transporting it to neighbouring countries.
This comes after antiretroviral medication and other prescription medications were discovered in a bus that crashed on the N1 near Makhado in Limpopo on Sunday, killing at least 42 people. The long-distance bus was traveling from Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape to Harare, Zimbabwe.
Saftu’s general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi, says that this criminal activity endangers lives, undermines the right to healthcare and worsens the collapse of public health institutions.
“This tragedy has exposed the depth of the crisis which is life changing medicines meant for the poor and working-class patients, are being diverted, traded and transported for Illegal thus millions go without treatment,” says Vavi.
