The African Transformation Movement (ATM) has called on Parliament to urgently investigate the alleged theft and illegal export of medicines from South Africa’s public healthcare system, warning that taxpayer-funded pharmaceuticals meant for patients could be ending up in the hands of cross-border criminal syndicates.
ATM national spokesperson Zama Ntshona said the party had written to the chairperson of Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Health, requesting an urgent parliamentary engagement into what it describes as the illegal export and smuggling of medicinal products from South Africa.
“We believe Parliament has a responsibility to establish whether medicines intended for South Africans are being diverted from public healthcare facilities and smuggled out of the country. This goes to the heart of healthcare security and accountability,” Ntshona said.
He said South Africa spends billions of rands each year procuring medicines, vaccines and other essential pharmaceutical products for public hospitals, clinics and community healthcare facilities.
“These medicines are intended to provide lifesaving treatment to South Africans through public hospitals, clinics and community healthcare facilities,” Ntshona said.
October 2025 bus crash
The ATM’s concerns stem partly from the discovery of bags containing antiretroviral medicines and other pharmaceutical products aboard a cross-border bus involved in a fatal crash near Makhado, Limpopo, in October last year. The bus, which was travelling towards Zimbabwe and Malawi, claimed 43 lives.
The discovery prompted Cabinet to announce a full-scale investigation into possible pharmaceutical theft and smuggling.
“This incident cannot be treated as isolated; it points to a broader risk that medicines procured with South African taxpayers’ money may be diverted from our healthcare system and transported beyond our borders for commercial gain,” Ntshona said.
He added that Cabinet had itself acknowledged the seriousness of the matter by confirming a comprehensive investigation.
ATM leader Vuyolwethu Zungula, who has become the party’s most visible face in the National Assembly is expected to spearhead the latest intervention in the National Assembly.
Although no longer the party’s president, Zungula remains its parliamentary leader. He has built a reputation for using oversight mechanisms to press for investigations into matters of public accountability, from the Phala Phala controversy to alleged corruption in government departments.
Call for investigation into scale of medicine theft
The request for an urgent health committee engagement adds medicine theft and cross-border pharmaceutical smuggling to the growing list of issues the party wants Parliament to scrutinise.
The ATM wants Parliament’s health committee to investigate the scale of medicine theft from public healthcare facilities. It wants it to determine whether organised criminal syndicates are involved, assess weaknesses in medicine stock-control systems and recommend stronger safeguards to protect South Africa’s pharmaceutical supply chain.
“The theft of medicines is not a victimless crime. Every box diverted from a clinic or hospital potentially denies treatment to a patient who depends on the public health system,” Ntshona said.
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- The African Transformation Movement (ATM) has urged Parliament to investigate alleged theft and illegal export of medicines from South Africa's public healthcare system, fearing taxpayer-funded drugs are being smuggled to foreign criminal syndicates.
- The call follows the October 2025 discovery of antiretroviral medicines on a bus bound for Zimbabwe and Malawi that crashed in Limpopo, killing 43, prompting a government investigation.
- ATM spokesperson Zama Ntshona emphasizes the need to assess medicine diversion from public facilities, possible involvement of organized crime, and weaknesses in stock control to protect South Africa’s pharmaceutical supply chain.
- The party has formally requested the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Health to urgently engage on the issue, highlighting the impact of medicine theft on patient treatment.
- ATM parliamentary leader Vuyolwethu Zungula is expected to lead the call for greater oversight and investigation into medicine theft and smuggling in the National Assembly.
ATM national spokesperson Zama
"We believe Parliament has a responsibility to establish whether medicines intended for
He said
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incident cannot be treated as isolated; it points to a broader risk that medicines procured with This African taxpayers' money may be diverted from our healthcare system and transported beyond our borders for commercial gain," South said. Ntshona
He added that Cabinet had itself acknowledged the seriousness of the matter by confirming a comprehensive investigation.
ATM leader
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