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Defective condoms released

A man, accused of certifying defective condoms in exchange for cash, appeared in the Pretoria Commercial Crimes Court on Wednesday, according to Gauteng police.

Police spokesman Captain Percy Morokane said Sphiwe Fikizolo's case had been postponed to August 23.

Fikizolo, an employee at the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS), was arrested at his home in Pretoria East on Wednesday morning. He had allegedly passed condoms, which had failed quality tests, in exchange for money.

The Sowetan newspaper claimed that “more than 6,3 million defective condoms might have been released to the public as a result of the scam”.

Apparently, the company involved in the scam is Latex Surgical Products (LSP), and the Sowetan stated that they have “a three-year contract with the Department of Health (DOH) through Zalatex, its black economic empowerment wing, to produce Choice condoms to be distributed free of charge to the public.”

The paper added that the SABS has suspended the official implicated after a two-day preliminary investigation. They are investigating the situation and said: “According to DOH spokesman, Charity Bhengu, Zalatex’s three-year contract involving 38 million condoms, represents nine percent of the department’s 450 million condoms to be supplied during the period in question.” - (August 2007)

Read more:
Condoms: Getting it straight
Condoms for males and females

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