Dumped PPE evidence in Covid-19 looting?

The bizarre disposal of a truckload of sought-after personal protective equipment (PPE) at the Hennops River, which scattered through the Irene Golf Course in Centurion, could be an attempt to dispose of incriminating evidence, according to Democratic Alliance (DA) Tshwane councillor Bronwyn Engelbrecht.

Engelbrecht, who serves on the metro’s health and Covid-19 committees, was commenting on the discovery of up to 30 sealed boxes containing unused PPE, found dumped in the area – now being investigated by police and acting Gauteng health MEC Jacob Mamabolo.

Among many high-profile leaders, who included Mamabolo to visit what police have declared a crime scene, Engelbrecht said it was unlikely a supplier would have decided to get rid of the PPE, which included gloves and masks, instead of “making a profit by selling the PPE”.

Members of the Hennops Revival, a non profit organisation, can be seen clearing some of the PPE gloves that have been dumped in the river over the weekend, 3 August 2020, Pretoria. Picture: Jacques Nelles

She explained: “There is no way that this constitutes theft of a vehicle or theft of PPE, because it would have been sold.

“It was definitely somebody who was trying to get rid of evidence, because these were in plastic bags. It was somebody disposing of evidence quickly and fast.

“Why would someone get rid of something which is in high demand, worth several hundreds of Rands? This, taking place amid investigations into illegal PPE tenders, is certainly part of an illegal activity to get rid of incriminating evidence.

“What will make the forensic investigation easy, is the fact that companies that supplied the gloves – Promed Technologies, Medtex and Nitrile – are clearly marked.”

Members of the Hennops Revival, a non profit organisation, can be seen clearing some of the PPE gloves that have been dumped in the river over the weekend, 3 August 2020, Pretoria. Picture: Jacques Nelles

The scandal takes place against a background of politically-connected individuals, implicated in questionable multi-million-rand PPE government tenders.

Those implicated have included presidency spokesperson Khusela Diko, her husband chief Madzikane II Thandisizwe, Gauteng health MEC Bandile Masuku and his wife Loyiso.

The incident has angered the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union [Nehawu], with general secretary Zola Saphetha saying the union found it “very unacceptable that PPEs, which are needed by frontline workers to protect themselves and to save the lives of our people, are dumped in a river”.

Members of the Hennops Revival, a non profit organisation, can be seen clearing some of the PPE gloves that have been dumped in the river over the weekend, 3 August 2020, Pretoria. Picture: Jacques Nelles

Referring to a video circulating on social media, Saphetha said: “In the video one can see gloves and masks which are in short supply in healthcare facilities across the country.

“Some of our members and workers have had to resort to using scarves as masks and refuse bags as aprons.”

He said the video suggested the PPEs were “thrown in the river by a Covidpreneur who produced a shoddy quality of PPEs”.

Saphetha said: “Recently, there has been an upsurge in the number of tenderpreneurs who produce PPEs and benefitting from the outbreak of the virus, while producing low quality work, including sanitisers that do not contain the recommended minimum of 70% alcohol content.”

Members of the Hennops Revival, a non profit organisation, can be seen clearing some of the PPE gloves that have been dumped in the river over the weekend, 3 August 2020, Pretoria. Picture: Jacques Nelles

Nehawu, warned Saphetha, was preparing for “the national day of action scheduled for 3 September 2020 if the issue of PPEs and other health and safety measures are not resolved with speed by government”.

Cleanup will take forever

An operation to clear the massive litter caused by the incident could take years to clear.

Environmentalist Tarryn Johnston from non-profit environmental group Hennops Revival, has for the few past months been a familiar figure at the Hennops and at the Irene Golf Course where she and her group have been on a clean-up campaign.

Members of the Hennops Revival, a non profit organisation, can be seen clearing some of the PPE gloves that have been dumped in the river over the weekend, 3 August 2020, Pretoria. Picture: Jacques Nelles

Nothing could have prepared her though for a colossal pile of rubbish strewn around the river and the golf course vicinity when she received a call on Sunday morning from the Golf Course general manager.

“She reported to me that what appeared like medical waste, was dumped into the river. But when I arrived, I found it was not medical waste but PPEs – boxes of gloves and masks.

“The boxes were filled with PPE, but deteriorated due to water – floating all over. So huge is the litter that we are going to pick up gloves and masks for years to come,” said Johnston.

PPE gloves can be sen in the Hennops river near the Irene Golf Club where someone over the weekend dumped a truckload of gloves into the river, 3 August 2020, Pretoria. Picture: Jacques Nelles

Describing the act as “insane”, “crazy” and criminal, Johnston said: “It is very disheartening, but we are on a mission of trying to remove all we can without being emotional about it. It is disgusting.

“There’s no words to describe the way this makes me feel.”

Johnston said she was accustomed to finding the odd glove and mask in the river before, “but never something like this”.

“This is crazy, at a time like this when people in hospitals are running short of PPE to do their work. It is massive. A colleague counted up to 30 boxes of gloves per crate that were thrown in.”

brians@citizen.co.za

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