Media statement.
Wednesday, 14 October 2026.
CAPE TOWN – The Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (DENOSA) in the Western Cape is appalled by the discovery of medication sold by a street vendor on the streets of Cape Town, which poses a huge risk to community members as some of the medication was found to have expired already.
While carrying out a patrol in the Nyanga Junction Transportation Hub in Gugulethu, members of Operation Prosper, a joint security intervention where SANDF deploys troops to assist the police in fighting crime, found a 38-year-old street vendor selling medication out of boxes.
While the culprit was arrested, he could not tell where he got the medication from.
DENOSA would like to appeal to members of the community in the province not to buy medication from the streets as this could put their health and lives in danger. Members of the public should get medication from approved healthcare centres or pharmacies.
With the high rate of crime in the townships, selling of medication by vendors on the streets could either be as a result of criminal activities or corruption where such medication could have been obtained either from the depots or healthcare centres.
While DENOSA is not aware of what type of medication was found, the organisation is concerned that, while community members often struggle to get medication due to shortage of medication and overcrowding in healthcare centres, there is medication that is just sold on the streets.
DENOSA urges the law enforcement agencies to get to the bottom of the problem and probe the suspect on where he got the medication from, so that, if it is the work of a syndicate, all the culprits are brought to book.
End.
Issued by DENOSA in Western Cape.
For more information, contact:
Sabelo Ntshanga, DENOSA Provincial Secretary.
Mobile: 072 432 6584.
Eleanor Roberts, DENOSA Provincial Chairperson.
Mobile: 072 554 9929.
