Cabinet Urges Foreign Nationals To Respect SA’s Laws After ARV Smuggling Discovery

The South African Cabinet has urged foreign nationals to be “respectful and well-mannered guests” following a disturbing discovery at the site of a deadly bus accident in Limpopo.

The bus, travelling from the Eastern Cape to Zimbabwe, was carrying Zimbabwean and Malawian passengers when it veered off the N1 highway, claiming 42 lives.

Authorities investigating the crash uncovered a box containing anti-retroviral (ARV) medication and other prescription drugs among the wreckage.

Officials have since launched a full-scale investigation to determine whether the medication was being smuggled across the border.

Smuggling Allegations Raise Alarm

At a media briefing in Pretoria on Thursday, Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni expressed deep concern over the apparent theft and smuggling of essential drugs.

“Cabinet calls on foreign nationals to be well-mannered guests in South Africa and reminds everyone that it took a lot of effort to stop the recent unsavoury treatment meted out against foreign nationals at local clinics,” Ntshavheni said.

She added that the “proof that confirms brazen theft of medicines from government clinics does not assist efforts to restore conditions for foreign nationals to access public health care.”

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Authorities are continuing to probe both the cause of the accident and the origin of the seized medication.

Government officials have vowed that the investigation will uncover how the ARV drugs ended up on the bus and whether any criminal networks were involved.

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