Police seize expired medicine from street vendor at Nyanga taxi rank

A 38-year-old man has been arrested at the Nyanga Junction transport hub in Cape Town after police found him selling medicine from boxes, some of it already past its expiry date.

Officers attached to Operation Prosper were on patrol at the interchange when they came across the man, Western Cape police said. He was taken into custody. Police said he did not say where the stock came from.

The arrest has prompted a public warning from the South African Police Service in the province, which has urged residents not to buy medicine from people who are not registered to sell it. Police said medicine should be bought only from registered health facilities.

That warning carries real weight at a hub like Nyanga Junction, where thousands of commuters pass through daily and where informal trading is a livelihood for many residents. Medicine bought from an unregistered seller carries no guarantee of what is inside the packaging, whether it has been stored correctly, or whether it is still safe to use. Expired stock is a particular risk, because the active ingredients in many medicines lose their potency over time and some can become harmful.

The arrest also raises a question the police themselves have not answered. The man did not disclose his supplier, which means the source of the medication remains unknown. Whether the stock was diverted from a legitimate supply chain, imported illegally or simply collected and resold is not yet established. Police have not said what charges he faces or when he is expected to appear in court.

For residents in Nyanga and the surrounding areas, the case is a reminder that the informal market in medicines operates alongside the formal one, often at a fraction of the price and with none of the safeguards. The warning from police is aimed at the buyer as much as the seller. A cheap packet of pills from a stranger at a taxi rank is not a bargain if it turns out to be expired, mislabelled or counterfeit.

Police have not released the man’s name. The Enquirer will report the outcome of the case when it comes before court.

Source: SABC News, SAPS bust street vendor selling medication in Western Cape